One Word: Contemporary Writers on the Words They Love or Loathe edited by Molly McQuade

By Kate Phillips 

          If you want a few laughs or points to ponder, read One Word: Contemporary Writers on the Words They Love or Loathe edited by Molly McQuade. It’s a perfect book to open at random although starting with words you love or loathe works as well.

          There are essays on familiar words like blog, dive, and verb. Unfamiliar words to me: darb, floccinaucinihilipilification, and solmizate. Unbelievable words—who has strong feelings about as, line, or pants? (Brenda Hillman, Eleanor Wilner, and Nathaniel Taylor with good reasons.) And hilarious choices like eek, ickybicky, and sweetie.

          The essays on prefer and riff are filled with literary references. Echo and half-light are poetically described. Eye and topsoil are scientifically discussed. And word origins are sometimes included. A great deal is learned by reading these essays besides whether a word is loved or loathed.

          What word do you love or loathe enough to write an essay about?

          I’ll share my essay about a word I love or loathe next week.