I invented a fake hobby and then wrote a book about how you can take part in it

Over the past few months, you may have noticed some etymology-related content creeping into my articles alongside my usual topics. I’ve been writing about how the myth of Theseus gave us the word ‘clue’ and the surprising origins of ‘currying favour’ in a medieval poem about an evil, perverted horse. This hasn’t just been for fun—I’ve written an entire book filled with quirky and fascinating stories about how many of our beloved English words came to be. The Wordspotter’s Guide is a compendium, a handbook, a journey, and occasionally a bit of a fever dream. It’s an introduction to wordspotting, a hobby I made up and may currently be the only practiser of. It has not only fun facts but also around a hundred diagrams, maps, and illustrations, all made by me! And it’s coming out this November! weird medieval guys is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.MY BABY IS SO BEAUTIFUL!!! (US cover)As you can see on…