author
Gideon Wurdz
b. 1875
A newspaper man with a quick wit and a gift for wordplay, this early 20th-century humorist delighted readers with playful mock dictionaries and other comic books. Writing as Gideon Wurdz, he turned everyday language into jokes that still feel light, odd, and inventive.
1 Audiobook
![The Foolish Dictionary An exhausting work of reference to un-certain English words, their origin, meaning, legitimate and illegitimate use, confused by a few pictures [not included]](https://listenly.io/api/img/6637fc53829d50c265d79a2e/cover.jpg)
About the author
Born in Dover, New Hampshire, on November 14, 1875, Charles Wayland Towne was the writer behind the pen name Gideon Wurdz. He graduated from Brown University in 1897 and went into journalism, joining the New York Times and later covering the Spanish-American War for the Boston Herald.
Towne is best remembered for humorous books such as The Foolish Dictionary, Foolish Finance, and Eediotic Etiquette. Under the name Gideon Wurdz, he specialized in comic definitions, puns, and mock-serious observations that poked fun at language, manners, and modern life.
His career ranged well beyond comic writing. In 1902 he traveled with Buffalo Bill Cody for several years, and during World War I he handled entertainment for troops in France. Later he moved to Tucson, Arizona, continued writing for magazines, and lived until 1965.