Best of the Spectator The Book Club: An Unexpectedly Essential Guide to Language
Oct 8, 2025
Join author Ben Schott, known for Schott’s Original Miscellany, as he dives into the captivating world of private languages in his latest book, Schott’s Significa. He explores unique codes from gondoliers to graffiti writers, showcasing how language reveals hidden cultures. Schott shares fascinating insights on dying gestural languages, the slang of the diamond district, and the playful hierarchies within subcultures. He discusses the rich tapestry of communicative methods, from secretive workplace codes to the evolving nature of fandom languages.
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How The Project Began
- Ben Schott discovered restaurant reservation codes after his wife wore a FOJB badge from a Manhattan party.
- He used that lead to contact many restaurants and wrote a New York Times piece, which seeded his larger project.
Language As The Key To Worlds
- Schott uses language as a key to explain how communities function rather than compiling glossaries.
- He structures entries to reveal the arc of a world through its private terms and practices.
Gondoliers And Black Cabs Compared
- Schott contrasts gondoliers and London black cab drivers as tiny proud freelance worlds serving massive tourist flows.
- He argues their skill sets and social features make them surprisingly similar despite geography.
