author
George Latimer Apperson
1857–1937
Best known for tracing the origins of English sayings and old-world customs, this quietly influential scholar helped preserve a huge range of everyday language. His work bridges folklore, history, and the kind of curious details that make words feel alive.
1 Audiobook
The Social History of Smoking
by George Latimer Apperson
About the author
George Latimer Apperson was an English school inspector, editor, and man of letters whose writing ranged across folklore, language, and social history. He edited The Antiquary from 1899 to 1915 and became an important contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary, supplying quotations and also serving as a subeditor for parts of the project.
He is especially remembered for works such as The English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases and Dictionary of Proverbs, books that gathered and explained the long histories behind familiar sayings. He also wrote lively historical and literary pieces, including Bygone London Life and The Social History of Smoking, showing a talent for turning research into readable, engaging prose.
Apperson's books still appeal to readers who enjoy discovering how language carries traces of older lives, habits, and beliefs. Even when he was writing about small customs or half-forgotten expressions, he had a knack for revealing the larger world behind them.