Words & Those Who Love Them

I've always had a fascination and a love for words and their origins. Back in grade school, I would do all the vocabulary pages especially those with origins. Of course I got in trouble, but I didn't care. It was all too tempting! When I go to those big book sales or to a discount book store.
I like to bop around the net to find great collections. I hope you enjoy them.

The Phrontistery
FRON-tis-te-ri, n a thinking-place [Gr phrontisterion from phrontistes a thinker, from phroneein to think; applied by Aristophanes to the school of Socrates]

With 15,500 word of obscure and rare words, this should keep you busy for a while. There's 33 glossaries covering such topics as Sciences and Studies, Colour terms, Dance styles. It's very easy to lose one's self and track of time!

Cool Words at Wunderland
A fun little quiz

Collective nouns is another favourite of mine. Books of collective nouns started to appear about 1486. The Book of St. Albans was the first, coming from a small press at St. Albans. Who couldn't love a "skulk of foxes" or a "pace of asses"?

One of the more definative collections would be found in James Lipton's An Exaltation of Larks : The Ultimate Edition
And a great online source Collectives.
They're fun to create as well. I like mine, "a slick of lawyers" and a "shrug of mechanics".


Odd & Wonderful Words