A dictionary of grandiloquent, splendiferous and mostly out-of-use words for highfalutin orators of any age, this title is packed to the rafters with delightful bits of language to pepper into your palaver at any swingin’ shindig you may be invited to. Elaborate framing devices and whimsical Victorian clip-art doff their dapper hats to the bygone origins of the content, and mix sublimely with the charming, nostalgic illustrations of the thoroughly modern Melinda Beck. Her delightful line work and cheeky understanding of how to best distill the meanings of “galumph,” “kerfuffle” and “madcap” using only two colors and two square inches made her the ideal artist for this project. The book is printed on a lovely-to-touch uncoated cream stock, lending a quiet dignity to the title, which is somewhat undermined by a splash of neon red across the palette. 

This book is designed with wit, boldness and a fair hint of irreverence. With the equally wonderful illustrations, this makes for a thoroughly informative and entertaining book of “quirky words for a clever tongue.”