Grace Tierney
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wordfoolery.bsky.social
Grace Tierney
@wordfoolery.bsky.social
580 followers 340 following 1K posts
Word history - books, blog, LMFMRadio
Comedyfic - Channillo
Love to read, craft, garden in Ireland
My Books - wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/
Weekly Word Blog - http://www.wordfoolery.wordpress.com/
Newsletter - subscribepage.io/wordfoolerywhispers
Posts Replies Media Videos
wordfoolery.bsky.social
7) Curious about festive words and customs worldwide? Check out "Words Christmas Gave Us" - hardback, paperback, Kindle - amzn.to/3XPdS4h
Words Christmas Gave Us by Grace TIerney on an ebook reader with a red and white cover and snowflake motif beside Scrabble tiles spelling out Thanksgiving Season
November 27, 2025 at 3:08 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
This is your annual reminder that if it wasn't for the Vikings, we'd still be talking about coecel (Old English) instead of cake. Thank you, Old Norse. To read about the many other English words we "borrowed" from the Vikings, try "Words the Vikings Gave Us" wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/ 🎂🪓
Strawberry sponge cake proudly made by Wordfoolery this summer, with strawberry halves on top and dribbly (but delicious) cream and strawberry filling.
November 26, 2025 at 10:19 AM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
It's that time of year again. If you'd like a signed copy (or a set of four) of my word history books for the history/language buff in your life please get in touch soon as orders close on December 1st to ensure delivery by 25th. All details at wordfoolery.wordpress.com/would-you-li... #giftideas
All four Wordfoolery books by Grace Tierney in paperback - words from Vikings, Sea, Christmas, and eponyms (how to get your name in the dictionary) - arrayed with wrapping bits and bobs
November 25, 2025 at 9:32 AM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
I chatted with Art on the Cozy #Christmas Podcast recently about "Words Christmas Gave Us" amzn.to/3XPdS4h my history of festive words, traditions, and folklore worldwide.
If you love this time of year, give it a listen. 🎄📚💙
cozychristmas.libsyn.com/scurryfunge-...
#Christmasgift print and #Kindle
Logo of A Cozy Christmas Podcast - Santa reading a book to Santa Ted by the festive fireside, cartoon style "Words Christmas Gave Us" by Grace Tierney in hardback - red and white cover with snowflake motif and a Santa hat to one side
November 24, 2025 at 4:32 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Took a trip to Dublin to visit Marsh's Library today, and to get started on some gift shopping. Found this lovely rose in bud in their small hidden garden. No idea of the variety but spirit-lifting to see in late November. #bloomscrolling
November 21, 2025 at 6:38 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Happy Book Birthday to my digital-only mini-book "Modern Words with Old Roots", launched in 2022. Everything from avatar to zarf is in here. This is the one Susie Dent complimented on "Countdown" so it will always have a special spot in my heart!
#Kindle at amzn.eu/d/4JGA1E6 📚💙 #booksky
Modern Words with Old Roots by Grace Tierney - on a smartphone, blue cover with black and white image of old tree roots - background of shells and seaweed, don't ask me why
November 21, 2025 at 8:58 AM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Explore the vibrant tapestry of Christmas through history with "Words Christmas Gave Us". Learn how Vikings, Tudors, and Dickens shaped seasonal traditions!
#History #Christmas #FunFacts #Kindle #etymology paperback hardback📚💙 🎄
wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/
Words Christmas Gave Us by Grace Tierney in paperback and hardback (red cover with snowflake motif) with red ribbon and a Santa hat
November 20, 2025 at 12:31 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
2) A century later kindle also had figurative meaning for igniting passions. The name of the reading device was devised by San Francisco designer Michael Cronan with a deliberate nod to the original Norse word.
All my etymology books are available for your Kindle. wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/
All the Wordfoolery books on reading devices - Words Christmas Gave Us, Words the Vikings Gave Us, Words the Sea Gave Us, and How to Get Your Name in the Dictionary.
November 19, 2025 at 12:52 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
4) Long John Silver is nearly always depicted as having a wooden leg but in “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson he is described as using crutches and no artificial leg is ever mentioned.
Love nautical words and stories? Check out "Words the Sea Gave Us" by Grace Tierney amzn.to/2D3bSi7
Words the Sea Gave Us by Grace Tierney with blue cover and white wave motif set against a collection of driftwood, pelican toed shells, and seaglass
November 14, 2025 at 5:28 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
My newsletter Wordfoolery Whispers is out on Fri 14th Nov. Read about a Mystery Tour, Podcasting, Blog Highlights, Good Books and histories for opsimathy, ramfeezled, pettifogging, crenelate, and drench.

Subscribe at subscribepage.io/wordfoolerywhispers & remember to confirm email. #etymology
Wordfoolery Whispers is out This Friday, plus Wordfoolery jester doll in red green and yellow motley complete with bells
November 12, 2025 at 2:11 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Love Christmas histories, traditions, and quirky words?
#Kindle #FunFacts #etymology
#Christmas paperback hardback 🎄📚💙 #booksky
wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/
November 6, 2025 at 4:19 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
5) His first device led to the creation of the laser microphone which is credited with the discovery of Bin Laden’s hiding place in 2011.
If you enjoy reading about the people whose names entered the dictionary check out "How To Get Your Name in the Dictionary" amzn.to/2ygxZMH
How to get your Name in the Dictionary by Grace Tierney - orange cover - on an ereader, but also available in paperback
November 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Hi, I'm Grace & I write books about the history behind unusual English words - nautical, vikings, eponyms, and Christmas words. I also made the crochet wreath and the pumpkin (from old IKEA cushion covers). You can find more about my etymology/history books at wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/ 🦇🎃
crochet wreath of autumn leaves, flowers, toadstools and hedgehogs The four Wordfoolery etymology books, along with Batty, and the fabric pumpkin I made
October 31, 2025 at 4:58 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Happy #Halloween from Wordfoolery, and Batty!
Here's a couple of spooky word histories to get your evening off to a properly eldritch and macabre start...
wordfoolery.wordpress.com/2019/10/28/e...
wordfoolery.wordpress.com/2019/02/04/m...
#etymology 👻🎃
All four Wordfoolery books alongside a fabric pumpkin, Batty the plushie bat, and my brooms. Boo!
October 31, 2025 at 2:52 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Tune in today at 2pm on LMFM Radio where I'll be looking at the history of some spooky words - mummy, jettatura, occult, and oblivion. Our mystery word is collieshangie. Listen live at www.lmfm.ie and I'll share podlink later.
#etymology #Halloween 👻🎃📚
LMFM Radio 95.8fm in Ireland North East Wordfoolery logo - orange background with a black and white jester hat with bells on
October 31, 2025 at 11:01 AM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Words the Vikings Gave Us - 300 words from ships, food, farming, romance, myths, daily life, politics - akimbo, kiss, ombudsman, bluetooth, frisbee, thing, and yule.
Ideal for word & history lovers.
#Kindle #FunFacts #etymology #vikings #Kobo paperback
wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/
Words the Vikings Gave Us by Grace Tierney with a green and white cover featuring a long ship motif, against a Christmas wrapping table
October 30, 2025 at 12:50 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Happy Book Birthday to "Words Christmas Gave Us" which launched on this day last year. We managed the merry part of Merry Christmas pretty well at the event in Academy Books! Still available in ebook, paperback, and hardback - wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/ and the National Library of Ireland.
Grace in her Santa hat at the launch, behind a table filled with Christmas treats and copies of the book, laughing Here's to Another Year of being a great book - plus a copy of the book with red and white cover and snowflake motif
October 24, 2025 at 9:37 AM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Day 4 of #IrishBookWeekChallenge: Share an Irish book you read recently. #IrishBookWeek

Love female #history? Irish #history? The lives of ten remarkable women overshadowed by famous Irish husbands
Irish Book Week Challenge - 21 Oct share an Irish book you read recently Purple cover of Great Irish Wives by Nicola Pierce - released in September, reprinting already
October 21, 2025 at 3:47 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Wordfoolery Whispers is my monthly newsletter packed with #etymology facts, history visits, writer life, and bookish chat. If you like unusual words, history or books it could be for you.
subscribepage.io/wordfoolerywhispers and remember the confirmation email.
The little Wordfoolery jester doll (in motley with bells) is here to remind you how to subscribe to the Wordfoolery Whispers author newsletter and to remember to click on the confirmation email - it gives you the inside scoop on my writing, reading, unusual words, upcoming book, and contests too
October 20, 2025 at 3:21 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Happy Friday, all. This week I'm #bloomscrolling with my Michaelmas daisies. Random buy recently and couldn't decide where to plant them so took my MIL's example and put them in a pot at the kitchen step where I enjoy them daily. So cheerful. #purple #gardening
Purple michaelmas daisies blooming October Ireland, close up on one bloom but a bush of them in the background
October 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Wordfoolery Whispers is out on Fri 17th Oct. Read about How to Start a Story, a Mammoth Craft Project, Blog Highlights, Good Books and histories for quockerwodger, gargalesthesia, obloquy, aliferous, exulansis, and bampot. Subscribe at subscribepage.io/wordfoolerywhispers & confirm email. #etymology
Wordfoolery Whispers is out This Friday, plus Wordfoolery jester doll in red green and yellow motley complete with bells
October 15, 2025 at 9:47 AM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
Took a wander in my garden. Spots of colour despite the falling leaves. Verbena bonariensis patch looking well. #bloomscrolling
October 10, 2025 at 4:42 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
“light-hearted look at Viking influence on the English language…a good jumping-off point for discovering more about both the Vikings and about English.” Popular History Books review
#Kindle #FunFacts #etymology #Viking paperback
wordfoolery.wordpress.com/my-books/ #booksky
Words the Vikings Gave Us by Grace TIerney - green and white cover with long ship motif, flanked by Scandinavian mini flags and Viking replica beads
October 9, 2025 at 11:57 AM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
5)Tux, a cute little penguin, is the Linux mascot because Torvalds was once bitten by a penguin at a zoo in Australia.

amzn.to/3kuDbUr (ebook/paperback)
October 3, 2025 at 2:33 PM
wordfoolery.bsky.social
I'll be celebrating the oddities of the English language on LMFM radio at 2p.m. where our words will be feisty, renegade, insidious, and monger. This time our mystery word is raffle-coppin. You can listen online at www.lmfm.ie and I'll share the podcast link later. #etymology
LMFM radio logo in red and white on blue background with 95.8 as the frequency to listen in Ireland Wordfoolery Press logo - a black and white jester hat, with bells, on an orange background - other colours are available, of course.
September 26, 2025 at 8:36 AM