Independent | Eco-friendly | Up to 75% off

On the Tip of My Tongue

The Perfect Word for Every Life Moment

Tom Read Wilson
Declaring that our choice of words defines us more than anything else, Tom Read Wilson takes a light-hearted look at the etymology of some his favourites. Spanning topics such as clothing, theatre, food and sex he delves into the origin of well-known words and phrases and presents his own suggestions for collective nouns. Off-mint
Postscript description
Read full publisher description

RRP £12.99

sale price £2.99 now £5.99

Free UK delivery on orders over £25

Product information:
  • Publisher: Aurum
  • Year: 2022
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 176pp
  • Illustrated: No
  • Dimensions: 204x138mm
  • ISBN: 9780711276673
  • Condition: New - Acceptable
  • Weight: 0.3kg
  • Other conditions available
Product code:
540958
Category tags:
Product information
Full publisher description
In On the Tip of My Tongue, logophile and television star Tom Read Wilson takes a delicious dive into the etymology and usage of words, euphemisms and bon mots.

Written with his trademark sparkling wit, the star of Celebs Go Dating and self-avowed word-lover presents a hilarious and fascinating guide which aims to leave you never lost for words again.

Divided into sections spanning dating, personal development, show business, compliments, curses, and how to dodge offence while speaking your mind, this book will equip you with the words needed to navigate all the situations of modern life with style and grace.

From treppenwitz (the German word for the feeling of a missed riposte in an argument) to Callipygian (a 17th Century word referring to someone with well shaped buttocks) to JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out), this guide covers a wide and varied range of words, from those with roots in antiquity to new ones being coined in the present day.

With Tom's wit and lifelong love of words by your side, you'll always be able to pick the perfect word, phrase or quip, whether you are trying to understand the many metaphors for sex or trying to tell your mother you love her.

This is a delightful and hilarious etymological solution to the dilemmas and conundrums of modern life and a must-read for every budding vocabularian.
Read full publisher description
Reasons to shop at Postscript

Independent bookseller
Established in 1987, we’ve been sharing reading recommendations for decades.

Books you won’t find elsewhere
Discover new authors among our frequently changing bookshelves, along with almost-forgotten gems and a wealth of unusual titles you won’t find elsewhere.

Eco-friendly packaging
Orders are carefully packed in recyclable cardboard boxes, eco-friendly bubble wrap and solvent-free labels, paper and tape.

Condition and price
All our books are new, unused and unread, and they’re all up to 75% off RRP.

FREE monthly catalogue
Featuring over 400 handpicked titles, our unique catalogue is carefully curated and includes new and unusual titles, special features and exclusive collections.

Email newsletters
Our tailored newsletters are written by our booksellers, and we always highlight the books that we have talked about most in the Postscript office.

Footnotes blog
Some books spark ideas and conversations that our catalogue can’t contain – our Footnotes blog offers a deeper dive into a wealth of topics to inspire further reading.

Aftercare
We are all serious book people and we understand the value of reading. This is why we package our books so carefully and employ a helpful in-house customer services team to promptly resolve any queries you may have.

Delivery information - FREE UK delivery on orders over £25

UK

Free UK standard delivery on all online orders over £25

Flat rate for all standard delivery orders: ‬£3.00 (3-5 working days)

Flat rate for Next Day orders (orders must be placed before 1pm, Monday–Friday): ‬£4.50

Flat rate for all Royal Mail Tracked48 orders: ‬£5.50 (2-4 working days)

Standard delivery‭: ‬3-5‭ ‬working days‭ (‬Highlands and Islands 5-7‭ ‬working days‭)‬

Next day delivery‭: ‬Available all UK excluding Highlands and Islands

Collect your order from a local shop – prices and delivery times as above

Overseas

All orders‭: ‬delivery costs for orders outside the UK are based on country of destination and product weight.

You can view your overseas delivery cost using the Summary section within the Basket‭.‬

For more information on delivery/overseas orders please refer to our Delivery Information.

Other conditions available