Additional information

Background

The word "blurb" sounds quite funny - and in fact, it was invented as a joke. In 1907, American writer Frank Gelett Burgess put a spoof text on the cover of his book, copying the enthusiastic style of publishers ("When you've READ this masterpiece, you'll know what a BOOK is."). He added the caption "YES, this is a BLURB!" and a picture of "Miss Belinda Blurb in the act of blurbing". The word may have started as a joke, but now it's part of everyday language.