Hook, (C)Hook, Hook(y), Etc

About the Book

HOOK, (C)HOOK, HOOK(Y), ETC., by providing an alphabetized list of uncapitalized words with their respective front and back “hooks”, will aid the crossword puzzle or word game enthusiast in his/her aspiration towards a more effective skill lever. Almost all the base (original) words contained within consist of two to nine letters, though are some ten-letter, and even a few eleven letter, cases. I have chosen this maximum upper extreme as expecting the average individual to remember original words of any greater length is asking a bit too much.

There are approximately 55,000 base words and well over 60,000 word hooks listed. As what constitutes the English language changes from nation to nation and even between regions of a single country, I have tried to include all peculiarly national terms, e.g. didjeridu (Australia’s spelling for a unique aboriginal instrument!) as well as those of a regional nature, e.g. spaldeen (New York City’s term for a hollow pink rubber ball!)

Just one cautionary note…please be aware this volume contains pejorative terms, as well as those generally considered to be of a scatological or vulgar nature. Their inclusion is not meant to imply this writer in any way approves of heir usage. However, they are included in the most unabridged of dictionaries, so this book is not breaking new grounds of brazenness.

About the Author

I was born in 1944 in the Bronx borough of New York City, and spent my youth in Mt. Vernon and New City, New York, both suburbs of New York City. I attended the State University of New York at Binghamton and received both my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from this institution. It was there that I made my first literary contribution—a thesis dealing with the 1941 Free French invasion and occupation of St. Pierre and Miquelon, two French islands off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. That writing, of course, other than perhaps lighting the writing desire within me, has nary a literary connection with the present effort!

However, ever since I was a tyke in the 1950s decade of Ike, Elvis, and hula-hoops, I developed a great interest in word game challenges, be it Hangman’s Noose (3^rd Grade!), increasingly complex crossword puzzles, and finally games such as SCRABBLE™. Simultaneously, I also began to appreciate the derivation of words and how they could be changed to create others, e.g. rand+y=randy, and s+laughter=slaughter. This increased interest in the language also led to a corresponding increase in the appreciation of such mnomic devices as related to word game strategies and gave me the impetus to write HOOK, (C)HOOK, HOOK(Y), ETC…