This week, we’re giving away three copies of A Word for All Seasons by David Crystal. Linguist David Crystal traces the origins of over 100 seasonal English words and phrases – from “spring chicken” to “dog days” to “Halloween” – drawing on some 200 historical figures from St. Augustine to Stormzy. Illustrated with Eric Ravilious's engravings, this illuminating collection reveals how our seasonal vocabulary has become one of the most creative and productive corners of the English language. You can also meet David on episodes 672 and 152 of our podcast. Here’s the blurb:
Linguist David Crystal’s absorbing journey through the origins of seasonal English words and phrases.
In this dazzling linguistic journey, David Crystal guides readers through the fascinating history of English’s seasonal vocabulary. Spring chicken, dog days, and Halloween are just a few of the over 100 words and phrases brought together here to show how the ways we speak about the changing seasons have become one of the most productive areas of the English lexicon. Exploring the origins of words associated with spring, summer, autumn, and winter – along with the very word “season” itself – Crystal shows how these turns of phrase have long been used creatively in such worlds as commerce, politics, and the arts, including idioms and extracts from poetry. Illuminating and intriguing, A Word for All Seasons demonstrates how the words and phrases we’ve long linked to specific times of our year have spread throughout the English language.
If you’d like to win a copy, simply enter your details in the form below. Three lucky people will win a copy!
Entries close midday (Syd/Melb time) Monday 21 September 2026. Winners will be notified within a week of the competition closing.
GOOD LUCK!
THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR YOUR ENTRIES! WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL AND ANNOUNCED IN OUR NEWSLETTER.
