Status
Available
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Publication
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (2008), Edition: 1st, Hardcover, 384 pages
Description
After 40 years of making a living using words in every medium, print or electronic, Blount still can't get over his ABCs. In this book, he celebrates the juju, the sonic and kinetic energies of letters and their combinations.
Media reviews
Humorist Roy Blount Jr.'s latest offering may be the most entertaining book you'll never finish. And that's not a knock. It's a nod to Blount's own counsel. "If you read this book the way I would read it and the way I've written it," he suggests in his introduction, "you will wear it out, thumbing
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back and forth, without ever being sure you've read it all."
"Alphabet Juice" is a sort of circular madcap dictionary. Which is to say, a book about words, compiled alphabetically and with great wit, but according to no other apparent program. Thus it begins with a rambling consideration of the word "a" (and the retelling of a joke about college football players) and ultimately concludes with the word "'zzyzva" (a class of weevils), as well as an invitation to think about the word "aah," which is the book's third entry, found way back on Page 12.
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User reviews
LibraryThing member gazzy
The Language Bathroom Reader. Fun ramblings on Language, but what we have is a publishing of the authors random notes on the subject, loosely disguised as a compendium having a rational connection.
LibraryThing member bragan
Roy Blount , Jr. goes through the alphabet letter by letter, talking about whatever words and phrases happen to catch his attention. He delves into etymologies, comments on usage, shares snippets of writing (his own and others') that he particularly likes or dislikes, makes jokes, and talks a great
I was tremendously enthusiastic about this book at first. I mean, look at the subtitle: "The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory." How can a language lover resist a description like that? "Wow," I was saying to myself by the time I got through the introduction, "here is someone who indeed knows how to squeeze the juice from language! I can practically taste all those wonderful words on my tongue!" But I quickly started to feel rather disappointed. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's all just a little too random. Or it's due to the fact that Blount's approach feels a bit too fanciful to me at some times and a bit too pedantic at others. Or that he often seems to me to be trying a little too hard to be clever and witty. Maybe it's just that his sense of humor and mine don't entirely line up.
It's not that I didn't find any of it enjoyable. It's sometimes quite funny and sometimes genuinely informative, but it just didn't quite deliver on the concentrated linguistic delight it seemed to promise.
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deal about the sounds of words and his appreciation for the ones that sound somehow appropriate for their meanings or connotations.I was tremendously enthusiastic about this book at first. I mean, look at the subtitle: "The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory." How can a language lover resist a description like that? "Wow," I was saying to myself by the time I got through the introduction, "here is someone who indeed knows how to squeeze the juice from language! I can practically taste all those wonderful words on my tongue!" But I quickly started to feel rather disappointed. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's all just a little too random. Or it's due to the fact that Blount's approach feels a bit too fanciful to me at some times and a bit too pedantic at others. Or that he often seems to me to be trying a little too hard to be clever and witty. Maybe it's just that his sense of humor and mine don't entirely line up.
It's not that I didn't find any of it enjoyable. It's sometimes quite funny and sometimes genuinely informative, but it just didn't quite deliver on the concentrated linguistic delight it seemed to promise.
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LibraryThing member jamespurcell
As a non professional "word nerd", I read rather than write, I found this book interesting even fascinating at times. It has a permanent place in my reading area to fill in odd moments between books or in occasional slow patches during books.
LibraryThing member briantomlin
Blount is certainly knowledgeable about the English langauge. I can say I learned a great deal from this book; unfortunately, I found his attempts at humor a bit tiresome, and I sometimes felt like he was trying to show off all of his knowledge in one book. Not comprehensive enough to be a useful
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reference work, and not funny enough to be a language humor book. Still, enjoyable. Show Less
LibraryThing member kaelirenee
For those who enjoy having a little fun with their language. Blount doesn't consider simply the origin of words; there are far better books for that. He considers how the word sounds, how it feels, how it's used. This is a hodgepodge of information, jokes, quotes,and musings. It's best read a
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little at a time, as it can get grating if read for more than about 20 minutes. Show Less
LibraryThing member jsoos
An entertaining volume that considers different aspects of words. Sometimes its the word origin, sometimes usage, othertimes it ist the sound ("sonicky") and feeling of a word. Quite a bit of rambling, and nothing consistent (other than the alphabetical order of the book). Not quite a reference
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volume and not quite a humor volume - but there are some great stories/examples (I love the mixed metaphor) particularly from his days with Sports Illustrated. - Good for bathroom reading - 5 minutes at a time. Show Less
LibraryThing member datrappert
I am inclined to like books like this and inclined to like Roy Blount, but after less than an hour of reading, I came upon two things that are just so wrong it makes me want to scream.
1) He says Sir Thomas More was hanged. Hanged? He was beheaded, of course, as anyone (doesn't FSG have editors?)
2) In his discussion of the word "tally", he says a tallyman is someone who sells merchandise on credit. This may be true, but then he quotes the line from Day-O as sung by Harry Belafonte: Come Mr. Tallyman, tally me banana. In this case, "tally me banana" obviously means count how many bananas I have picked until daylight comes while working on a drink of rum - daylight is here and I want to go home!
I'm sure there are scattered pleasures in this book - merely having an entry on tallywhacker is one of them - but for a work of this type, I have to have some trust that the author knows what he's talking about.
Sorry, Roy.
1) He says Sir Thomas More was hanged. Hanged? He was beheaded, of course, as anyone (doesn't FSG have editors?)
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should know.2) In his discussion of the word "tally", he says a tallyman is someone who sells merchandise on credit. This may be true, but then he quotes the line from Day-O as sung by Harry Belafonte: Come Mr. Tallyman, tally me banana. In this case, "tally me banana" obviously means count how many bananas I have picked until daylight comes while working on a drink of rum - daylight is here and I want to go home!
I'm sure there are scattered pleasures in this book - merely having an entry on tallywhacker is one of them - but for a work of this type, I have to have some trust that the author knows what he's talking about.
Sorry, Roy.
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LibraryThing member Matke
This was a serendipitous find at the library. Something of a cross betweeen Strunk and White's Elements of Style and a work on word history, this is a most entertaining jaunt. Many jokes illustrate the finer points of instruction and lots of oddball trivia will attract word buffs. Recommended for
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anyone interested in the English language. Show Less
LibraryThing member AnneliM
The Energies, Gists, and Spirits, of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof: Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Perks, Tinctures. Tpmocs. amd Essemces; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory--this is the explanation of this book by the author on the cover (perhaps by the
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publisher?) Interesting to pick up from time to time. Show Less
LibraryThing member mcandre
I'll admit it, I bought this book for the cover and the long title. The entries are hit and miss. My favorite one is the letter S. I won't spoil it.
LibraryThing member hugh_ashton
I really wasn't sure what this book was meant to be. Roy Blount is obviously in love with words and their sounds – but the problem is that there are so many varieties of English (not just UK English and the US derivation, but the Englishes of other nations, and dialects and accents within those
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nations) that any judgement on words based on their pronunciation is bound to be based towards "the way I say it". His criticisms of the common abuse of words are ones I generally agree with, but I felt this was somewhat of a ragbag of a book, without any structure or form, and the alphabetical listing was an attempt to cover that lack. There was also a lot of "me" in the book, which annoyed me – is this My Life, or a book about language, or what? I'm glad I was given this book – I wouldn't have bought it. Show Less
LibraryThing member figre
This book is a whole lot of fun. Now, I have to admit…I’m a grammar/word geek, so it is easy for me to fall in love with the book. But I’ve got to think anyone would enjoy it because it is more than just a book about words. It is about Roy Blount, Jr., and it is about politics, and it is
Organized in alphabetical order (now, why doesn’t that surprise me), Blount picks and chooses the words he wants to talk about. In some cases he only spends one line on a word. In others he spends a page or two. It all depends on what he feels like talking about at the time. Here’s just a hint of how varied the word choice is. The entry for “E” starts with “editing”, then moves on to “eerie”, “egg”, “eggcorn”, “egg jokes”, “either”, then “electricity/chewing tobacco”. (“What do these things have in common? They both involve juice…”)
But let’s get back to that word thing. What completely sells it for me is when Blount digs into the words people use incorrectly, and his abhorrence of such practices. For example: the misuse of “hopefully”, a discussion of adverbial or adjectival drift (and don’t you just love the use of the word “adjectival”), what “beg the question” really means, the concept of “Moebius statements”, etc. (Surprisingly, he doesn’t even mention “etc.”, let alone its use by people too lazy to finish a thought.)
Get this book. You will be entertained and actually learn something. But, honest, there won’t be too much of that learning thing.
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about culture (particularly the south), and it is about funny. And, never forget, it is also about words – a love of and reverence for words.Organized in alphabetical order (now, why doesn’t that surprise me), Blount picks and chooses the words he wants to talk about. In some cases he only spends one line on a word. In others he spends a page or two. It all depends on what he feels like talking about at the time. Here’s just a hint of how varied the word choice is. The entry for “E” starts with “editing”, then moves on to “eerie”, “egg”, “eggcorn”, “egg jokes”, “either”, then “electricity/chewing tobacco”. (“What do these things have in common? They both involve juice…”)
But let’s get back to that word thing. What completely sells it for me is when Blount digs into the words people use incorrectly, and his abhorrence of such practices. For example: the misuse of “hopefully”, a discussion of adverbial or adjectival drift (and don’t you just love the use of the word “adjectival”), what “beg the question” really means, the concept of “Moebius statements”, etc. (Surprisingly, he doesn’t even mention “etc.”, let alone its use by people too lazy to finish a thought.)
Get this book. You will be entertained and actually learn something. But, honest, there won’t be too much of that learning thing.
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LibraryThing member debherter
Entertaining and informative.
LibraryThing member cjsdg
Three stars for content, one extra for Blount's espièglerie in writing such an idiosyncratic book. No slouch in the word dept, he brushes Chomsky aside, and argues that words in general have a more onomotopaeic quality than the linguists tend to credit them with. He has all kinds of fun chasing
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down etymologies and occasionally inventing them, rambling on about his favorite words. For Blount is not a theorist of words, but someone who loves words. As he himself notes, this is a sort of dictionary, not meant to be read through, but browsed. And having browsed it unto completion, I am right glad to have done it. Bless your vocabulary, your thinking, your writing, and your funny bone, and read Alphabet Juice. Show Less
LibraryThing member herbcat
This book is scholarly and well researched by a master wordsmith and a devoted word lover, but it sometimes becomes too much in one stretch. Often quoteable.
LibraryThing member tinLizzy
Great read for word nerds! It's not exactly a sequential-read sort of read - I found it hard to "just read" it. But what it IS (at least for how my brain works) is a grazing book - and a fantastic means for spring-boarding off into topics you'd never known you wanted to, or maybe never even knew
Seriously a cool book, and well Roy Blount Jr is just a hell of a funny witty guy. Probably time for me to pick up Alphabet Juice again and carry on with grazing my way through it!
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about to begin with. Case in point - wasn't familiar with Oliver Goldman, but Blount's passage on Goody Two Shoes for whatever reason spawned a sudden interest in Goldman - leading me to run off and read the Vicar of Wakefield. Seriously a cool book, and well Roy Blount Jr is just a hell of a funny witty guy. Probably time for me to pick up Alphabet Juice again and carry on with grazing my way through it!
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LibraryThing member subbobmail
Until I read Alphabet Juice I only knew of Roy Blount as an occasional voice on public radio, a man Garrison Keillor said was funny. Turns out that Blount is also a serious word-nerd -- hell, the man even sits on dictionary-assembly committees. Alphabet Juice is his own idiosyncratic cross between
Lexicographers and linguists love to argue a certain question: does the sound of a word have any connection with its meaning, or is the whole business of language arbitrary? Blount comes down firmly in the "sound matters" camp. Again and again, he draws a straight line from the way a word is said, the way it feels in the mouth, to what it means. He even coins a neologism to describe words that illustrate his point: "sonicky." One suspects that he'd like to see this word end up in a few dictionaries...
Anyway, Blount ranges in alphabetical order through words and letters and phrases that take his fancy. He plays around with them. He makes jokes. He makes you taste them. I got this book for a poet, and I don't think she'll be disappointed with it. After all, we writer types are predisposed to believe that sound is as important as sense.
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a glossary and Strunk & White.Lexicographers and linguists love to argue a certain question: does the sound of a word have any connection with its meaning, or is the whole business of language arbitrary? Blount comes down firmly in the "sound matters" camp. Again and again, he draws a straight line from the way a word is said, the way it feels in the mouth, to what it means. He even coins a neologism to describe words that illustrate his point: "sonicky." One suspects that he'd like to see this word end up in a few dictionaries...
Anyway, Blount ranges in alphabetical order through words and letters and phrases that take his fancy. He plays around with them. He makes jokes. He makes you taste them. I got this book for a poet, and I don't think she'll be disappointed with it. After all, we writer types are predisposed to believe that sound is as important as sense.
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LibraryThing member Skybalon
Imagine someone deciding to turn a web site into a book. Imagine an incredibly intelligent author just rambling for a while. Imagine having an interest in words and language and still being incredibly annoyed. And then you'll be like me--imagining that I bothered to finish the book.
Subjects
Original publication date
2008
Physical description
384 p.; 5.98 inches
ISBN
0374103690 / 9780374103699
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