Mark Forsyth

Mark Forsyth (born 2 April 1977) is a British writer of non-fiction who came to prominence with a series of books concerning the meaning and etymology of English words. books The Etymologicon, The Horologicon, and The Elements of Eloquence, as well as being known for his blog The Inky Fool.

In June 2012, Forsyth gave a TEDx talk entitled "What’s a snollygoster? A short lesson in political speak".

Education Forsyth attended Winchester College in Winchester, Hampshire, England from 1990 to 1995. He also studied English Language & Literature at Lincoln College, Oxford University, from 1996 to 1999. Forsyth started a blog called Inky Fool in 2009 as a forum to share his love of words. His posts often involve an exploration of words; where they come from and how they relate to each other. in 2011 with Icon Books. In The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connection of The English Language, Forsyth explains the meanings and derivations of well-known words and phrases, in a stream-of-consciousness fashion. The book's title, originally called Point Blank Check Mate: The Inky Fool's Book of Word Association, It is, according to reviewer Karin Schimke, "a cursory run through history presented with a wry eye and a peculiar sense of humor."

While The Etymologicon falls into the category of edutainment,

In The Etymologicon, Forsyth cautions against what he calls "the danger of inductive reasoning"

The Horologicon

The Horologicon: A Day's Jaunt Through the Lost Words of the English Language is Forsyth's second book and contains "weird words for familiar situations." Many of these words are no longer in use, such as snollygoster, durgeon and frumples. according to the hours in a day: from dawn, through breakfast, commuting, office life, shopping, going out drinking and stumbling home.

The Elements of Eloquence

The Elements of Eloquence: Secrets of the Perfect Turn of Phrase is Forsyth's third book. Described as a writer's tool-kit or recipe book, The Elements of Eloquence outlines 38 rhetorical figures Forsyth uses examples from William Shakespeare, to reveal "the secrets" behind memorable lines and phrases.

"The Unknown Unknown" Forsyth's essay "Unknown Unknown: Bookshops and the Delight of Not Getting What You Wanted" was a special commission for Independent Booksellers Week. and celebrates the discoveries one can make at independent bookshops. In his essay, Forsyth makes the case for the lost pleasures of undirected browsing that cannot be achieved with an internet search. Reviewer Matthew Parris wrote: As any sub-editor knows, and too few columnists acknowledge, a good headline can say it all. Mark Forsyth, whose passion is words, and whose book, The Etymologicon, proved probably the best-selling title in history that nobody can pronounce, has written an essay in booklet form to adorn the tables of Britain's bookshops. Its title page tells you succinctly why it should. The Unknown Unknown, it's called, and its subtitle is "Bookshops and the delight of not getting what you wanted." Not since I engaged a company called Difficult Access Cranes Ltd has the point been made before, as it were, you've even opened the tin.

A Christmas Cornucopia

A Christmas Cornucopia: The Hidden Stories Behind Our Yuletide Traditions was published on 3 November 2016.

A Short History of Drunkenness

A Short History of Drunkenness came out on 6 September 2018.

The book is a popular scientific description of the history of mankind's relationship with alcoholic beverages. The author begins with the Paleolithic period, and then examines the cultures of such countries and epochs as Sumer, ancient Egypt, the Aztec Empire, antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Muslim world, the Wild West, the Prohibition era, and Russia. The descriptions are accompanied by short excursions into history, anthropology, and sociology.

The New York Times Book Review called it an "entertaining bar-hop through the past 10,000 years".

Other books Forsyth wrote the introduction for the new edition of Collins English Dictionary.

He also wrote a short chapter, "Who Named All the Cities", for a book compiled by Gemma Elwin Harris called Big Questions from Little People Answered by Some Very Big People.

Radio and TED Talk appearances

A Christmas Cornucopia, BBC Radio 4 (18 December 2016) Lost Words and Secret Connections, BBC Radio 4 (13 September 2016) Why Read Dictionaries with David Astle and Mark Forsyth, Radio National (26 May 2013) What's a snollygoster? A short lesson in political speak, TED talk (August, 2012) Painting the Forth Bridge "finished", BBC Radio 4 (9 December 2011)