|  Question 1: Why is “tattarrattat,”
coined by James Joyce, particularly noteworthy?
A) It contains the most Ts of any known word.
B) It is the longest onomatopoeia in the dictionary.
C) It is the longest single-word palindrome
in the OED.
D) It is the first word in Joyce’s seminal Ulysses. This is just one of the more than 2,000 intriguing questions in League of the Lexicon, “the perfect gift for that erudite friend or trivia junkie in your life,” according to The Wall Street Journal. To that ringing endorsement, we will add our opinion that this original quiz game is hilarious and erudite, wildly entertaining and learned, zany and academic. We can only imagine the delight, research, and obsessiveness that went into creating it. We’ve sprinkled eight questions from League of the Lexicon and some of our other fun trivia games throughout this newsletter. If you answer them all correctly by emailing the correct responses to us at rcorders@nybooks.com, you could win a free copy of League of the Lexicon. Email us the correct answers by Thursday, January 23, for a chance to win. We’ll choose one lucky winner from the correct submissions. Question 2: Who is associated with the first recorded use of the term “OMG?”
A) Ken Kesey
B) Winston Churchill
C) Michael Jackson
D) Leonard Nimoy
—League of the Lexicon The Language-Lover’s LexipediaFrom the creator of League of the Lexicon, The Language-Lover’s Lexipedia leads you on a delightful rollick through language unlike any you’ve ever experienced. It’s stuffed with lists, surprising facts, and illuminating stories, making it the ultimate gift for any language lover. The Dictionary of Obscure and Enchanting WordsDo you revel in rare words? Swoon over poetic turns of phrase? This dictionary is your passport to a world of linguistic wonder—where forgotten gems and modern curiosities meet. From the soaring spirit of aliferous to the bold brilliance of zazzy, words that inspire, amuse, and expand the way you see the world await you on every page. STET! A Game for Language Lovers, Grammar Geeks, and BibliophilesOne hundred sentences await you, the copyeditor, to correct—or, alternatively, to STET (a copyeditor’s term that means “let it stand”). The first person to spot the error, or, if there is no error, to call out “STET!,” gets the card. Untranslatable Words CardsThis set of cards defines some of our favorite words from the world’s languages, and matches them with compelling images to bring some of our most important feelings into focus. These inspiring cards make a thoughtful gift for language lovers, word nerds, and all curious individuals, encouraging us to reflect on the splendor of vocabulary and the emotions. NATO Alphabet Mug This mug—besides being a handsome addition to any table or desk—provides an essential tutorial for anyone who has ever struggled to be understood when spelling out a name and address over the phone. It’s especially fun and useful for those who remember when this system was adopted. Collective Noun
Tea TowelsPack, litter, herd? We are thrilled to expand our repertoire of collective nouns beyond the commonplace and into the exceptional: a prickle of hedgehogs, a parliament of owls, a romp of otters, and more. Question 3: What was the name of the literary circle that included Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein? A) Stratford-on-Odéon
B) The Bloomsbury Group
C) The Inklings
D) The Dill Pickle Club
—Literary Trivia Classic French Market BagWhether you’re at the Marché Raspail or Rue de Buci, you’ll see the net bag on the arm of almost every shopper. Chic as Chanel, it’s eminently practical: it takes up hardly any space in a purse or tote, and is machine washable, durable, inexpensive, and made of 100% cotton. French Market BasketThis is the authentic panier du marché, the traditional straw market basket used for centuries throughout France. With a spacious interior and durable construction, it is seen almost as often on beaches and at picnics as it is in markets. Classic French NotebooksWalk into any stationery shop in France and you’ll see an extensive array of these beloved notebooks. In cafes, you’ll see people writing in them; in grocery stores, consulting them. They’re pulled out of briefcases, purses, and backpacks; they’re on desks in libraries and in bookstores. Anywhere someone needs to write something, there seems to be a Clairefontaine notebook. Play with Matisse Activity KitJump into the bold and bright world of Henri Matisse, one of history’s most playful artists, as you make a paper masterpiece inspired by the artist. This is an innovative and original craft kit that will be enjoyed by adults as much as children. Many of the activities take inspiration from Matisse’s life, encouraging collaboration and imagination: work alongside a partner or learn how to grow a paper “garden” filled with bright blooms and fluttering butterflies. The Louvre Tea Collection and
At the Louvre Discover the Louvre Collection, four exceptional signature blends created by Palais des Thés in partnership with the Louvre to pay tribute to one of the world’s greatest museums. It can be purchased on its own or with At the Louvre: Poems by 100 Contemporary World Poets, a collaboration between New York Review Books and the Louvre Museum. Madeline Tea Set “In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived twelve little girls in two straight lines... the smallest one was Madeline.” This deluxe Madeline Tea Set is decorated with scenes from the beloved book by Ludwig Bemelmans and includes a tray; a teapot; four cups, saucers, plates, spoons, and napkins; and a tablecloth, all packaged in a sweet little suitcase for tidy storage. Question 4: Which art movement is most closely associated with the drawing game often called cadavre exquis or “exquisite corpse?”
A) Fauvism
B) Constructivism
C) Surrealism
D) Precisionism
—Art Trivia Art TriviaThis eye-catching portable box holds 140 multiple-choice questions about artworks from around the globe and artists from all eras; topics range from ancient to contemporary art, fine arts to traditional crafts, museums and galleries to street art. Monet Water Lilies Silk Chiffon ScarfThe image on this scarf is inspired by the work of French impressionist artist Claude Monet (1840–1926). This blue and green scarf is crafted from sheer, lightweight, ethereal silk chiffon and finished with traditional, artisanal, hand-rolled hems. The Story of Impressionism: 1,000-Piece PuzzlePiece together this beautifully detailed puzzle to create the Paris of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters, and along the way discover the people and places that helped create a new way to see the world. It’s a fun way to introduce art to young learners while following the artists as they paint the City of Light. Gustav Klimt Silk Chiffon ScarfKlimt (1862–1918) is known for the delicate, supple beauty of his figures; his romantic fascination with love, death, and the erotic; and the boundary-pushing fearlessness with which he scandalized the art world of Vienna in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Question 5: What eleven-letter English word does everyone pronounce INCORRECTLY?
—League of the Lexicon Janet All-Occasion Greeting Cards
by Glen Baxter “Janet set aside an hour each day to work on her threatening letters.” These all-occasion cards are Glen Baxter at his most Baxterian: “a kind of mad cross between Magritte, S. J. Perelman, and pulp fiction,” according to The New York Times. Edward Gorey Sparkler Birthday Cards With these notecards on hand, you’ll always be able to send a sparkling birthday greeting. Inside greeting: “Happy Birthday!” Includes six 5" x 7" notecards with envelopes. “I Am Born” Onesie“Chapter I. I Am Born”—the first line of Dickens’s classic David Copperfield—is printed across the chest of this 100% cotton baby onesie. Prohibition and Repeal Pint GlassesA pair of pint glasses printed with the 18th and 21st Amendments to the Constitution, a witty reminder of the historical path to legal drinking in the United States. Woody Guthrie’s New Years Rulin’s Greeting CardsGuthrie wrote these heartfelt and playful resolutions on New Year’s Day, 1943. From “Don’t Get Lonesome” and “Dream Good” to “Have Company but Don’t Waste Time” and “Wake Up and Fight,” the rulin’s on these all-occasion cards will delight and inspire in any season. The Snooty Bookshop PostcardsThis postcard set celebrates more than a decade of Tom Gauld’s contributions to The Guardian, with fifty of his most beloved strips, on everything from “Procrastination for Creative Writers, a 10-Week Course” and “Poetry Anthologies for People Who Don’t Like Poems” to an alternative bookshop shelving section (“Yes, we do have a copy of the book you’re looking for. You’ll find it in the ‘Vastly Overrated’ section of the ‘So-called Classics’ Department”). Question Six: Jane Austen didn’t publish her novels under her name. What author credit was listed on the title page of her first published novel?
A) “By Miss A”
B) “By Currer Bell”
C) “By George Eliot”
D) “By a Lady”
—Literary Trivia Reader, I Married Him Silver
Brontë BraceletThis declarative and witty quotation from Charlotte Brontë’s masterpiece, Jane Eyre, one of the most famous stories of romance in all of literature, is stamped inside this artisan-made silver bracelet. Whitman Square Inch Bracelet“Some people are so much sunlight to the square inch.”—Walt Whitman Whitman’s words are hand-cast on a 14-karat gold vermeil bangle (2.5" diameter, 0.125" width). There are three small 14-karat wire gold loops on the bracelet. Edward Gorey Sterling Heart Cat PinThis gently romantic sterling silver pin is a perfect gift for any occasion when one wants to express affection...or something stronger. Gorey was the creator of more than 100 works, from darkly hilarious books to the opening sequence of the PBS television series Mystery! Renaissance Manuscript Silk Chiffon ScarfBlossoms cover the central area of the scarf; on each end is a wide border of flowers, buds, leaves, and berries. In Europe, during the Renaissance, the faithful looked to nature for spiritual enlightenment and to guide their contemplation of the divine. Question 7: What species is considered the most dangerous bird in the world?
A) Southern cassowary
B) Horned screamer
C) Ostrich
D) Secretary bird
—Bird Trivia Bird Trivia Put your knowledge of the avian kingdom to the test with Bird Trivia. Nested in a chic little eye-catching portable box are 140 multiple-choice questions about birds. The game may be played on three levels, depending on the players’ knowledge. Build-Your-Own Kaleidoscope This STEM kit is an exciting two-part project for young artists and scientists, ages seven and up. Straightforward instructions show how to construct a working outer-spaced-themed kaleidoscope, and then use a variety of space-themed accessories to create an exciting visual experience. HourglassThe hourglass is a recurring image not only marking the passage of time but also evoking balance, the sky and the earth, the female figure, and more. This richly symbolic object is also a calming and beautiful desk accessory. Choose among four colors and between five- and thirty-minute hourglasses. The Night Sky PostcardsThis handsome foil-stamped box holds fifty postcards, each with a single sublime image: a page from Galileo’s sketchbooks, a Chinese star map, an artist’s interpretation of the universe, or a rarely seen image from the NASA archives. Nature Multi-Activity KitThis kit comes with all the materials and equipment needed to complete five nature-themed crafting activities which make twelve items: two animal masks, one kaleidoscope, two pinwheels, one set of wind chimes, and six nature-themed sticker boards. Match a Pair of Birds Memory GameThis classic memory game is a fun and educational way for both children and experienced birdwatchers to master a body of knowledge that will serve them a lifetime: how to identify both the male and female of a species. For two players, ages six and up. Question 8: To create his 1960 Anthropometry paintings, what did Yves Klein use in place of paintbrushes?
A) Nude models
B) Sponges
C) Stamps
D) Palette knives
—Art Trivia Bring some art into your home with a framed caricature by celebrated artist David Levine, whose work enriched the pages of The New York Review of Books for more than four decades.Clockwise from top left: Jackie Robinson, Alfred Hitchcock, Gertrude Stein, Billie Holiday |
