[.ca] Endangered English Dictionary (ISBN 0393316068)

From Amazon.com:
Sometimes it seems that there are as many collections of archaic words as there are archaic words. Most of them are amusing in their own esoteric sort of way, but few aim for more than entertainment value. David Grambs watches over words gone (or going) by in the same way that the National Wildlife Federation watches over grizzly bears and timber wolves. He would like his readers to think of his Endangered English Dictionary as "a constant reminder of the words that could have been, that fell through the cracks. Or--" he challenges, "if you and enough others make imaginative use of this book--that still could become part of our everyday usage." Toward this goal, Grambs has chosen "common-use, nontechnical words," and he has arranged his book as a two-way dictionary. So if you are looking for a compact way to describe something--a flower, say--that smells strongest at night, try "noctuolucent." If you were a delicate blossom, or even a whole "tuzzymuzzy" (a bunch of flowers), you too might wish to avoid the "sizzard" (unbearably humid heat) of summer days. --Jane Steinberg

Some Great Words:
This is a great book for finding some of the most colorful and intersting words you will ever hear. The problem with learning the words is that some of them are so articlate and descriptive yet no one will understand you when you use them. This of course can lead to bouts of frustration. What a shame to have such great words yet not be able to use them. The book is very accessible and readible due to the larger type size, nice font and cogent definitions. Now for a personal note to anyone who wants to read on: I bought this book while in Graduate School at Andrews University in MI. I was taking the most boring of all boring classes being instructed by a teacher who was pulled in at the last minute to teach a class he knew nothing about. While the boring lectures continued day after day as so many cars on a train I read this book cover to cover and made note cards of all the interesting words. Now I have easy access to all the words that struck me most. And for amusement during certain verbivorous moments I like to review and ponder.

Eerily addicting even to people with only a casual interest:
Although it stretches the imagination that such words as "infrangelic" and "mysot" can be casually used in day to day conversation, the words garnered by Mr. Grambs are just plain fun. Even for people with only a casual interest in English or writing will find this book strangely compelling. It's a book that is just a hit or a miss. My family is filled with big readers. My father found it boring. My mother bought her own copy within a couple of days. My brother put it down in a minute. My sister-law read it almost straight through. The book will allow you to almost always get the last "word."

A euphoric experience for logophiles:
Of the dozens of books I own on obscure, bizarre, and fascinating words, The Endangered English Dictionary is probably my favorite. David Grambs does not merely include obscure terms that have fallen into desuetude. Instead, he provides unusual words that are highly useful even today, be they employed in thought alone or in speech. I was in awe of our wonderful language when I began to read this book. It's the perfect gift for that sesquipedalian verbivore you know and love.