Download or read book The Fascinating Origins of Everyday Words written by Adrian Room and published by NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company. This book was released on 1997 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gives the detailed origins of a wide variety of English words. It includes nearly 1,200 words, a definition of each entry, and an explanation of both the true and the false origins of each word.
Download or read book Who Said That First written by Max Cryer and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2011-03-25 with total page 406 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Believe it or not, this is probably the first book to attempt to identify the original sources of some of the English language's most common expressions. We might think we know who first said famous for fifteen minutes, annus horribilis, the cold war and let them eat cake. It's a no brainer, you might say, but Max Cryer has a surprise or two in ...
Download or read book Dictionary of Word Origins written by Jordan Almond and published by Citadel Press. This book was released on 1995 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This dictionary gives the intriguing origins of hundreds of everyday words and expressions. Useful for reference and fun just for browsing, Dictionary of Word Origins is also a great way to expand vocabulary and enjoy doing it.
Download or read book What s in a Word written by Webb Garrison and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2010-03-15 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A compendium containing the origins and history of some of the most common words and phrases in the English language. Once upon a time . . . Tying the knot actually involved tying a knot—not saying vows. Meanwhile, a thinking cap wasn’t just a cute idea for schoolchildren, but an actual hat worn by scholars in the Middle Ages. Oh, and when you make no bones about something, you should consider yourself lucky you aren’t choking on a chicken foot. What’s in a Word? answers the question it poses, more than three hundred times over. You’ll learn which side of the bed is the wrong side, and why the word “nickname” is simply the product of slurred speech. Webb Garrison’s etymological journey through the origins of words and phrases, both common and obscure, is sure to fascinate wordsmiths of every stripe.
Download or read book Where Words Come From written by Fred Sedgwick and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2009-07-10 with total page 442 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An invaluable guide to the fascinating origins of everyday words crafted into pithy annecdotes and facts.
Download or read book Origins of Words and Phrases written by Reader's Digest Association, Limited and published by Reader's Digest Association. This book was released on 2008-02-01 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Reveals the secrets, scandals and surprises behind the words used every day. This book includes the stories and the personalities that have helped shape the English language from William Shakespeare and Lord Byron, to Rudyard Kipling and Salmon Rushdie.
Download or read book A Miscellany for Word Lovers written by Robin Hosie and published by How To Books. This book was released on 2014-03-06 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: More than 100 vocabulary-building quizzes make up the core of the book, with shorter sections on: * The fascinating origins of words * Quotes and misquotes * Slang, dialects and secret languages * Unforgettable Adverts, Famous Lines from Novels and Movies * Newspeak, Basic English, spelling reform * Malapropisms, politicians' blunders and 'mispeakings' * Mnemonics and other memory joggers * Palindromes and anagrams * Semaphore. Morse, tic-tac, hand gestures and other ways of speaking without words Entry after entry explores the byways, oddities and curiosities of the English language.
Download or read book The Unexpected Evolution of Language written by Justin Cord Hayes and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-09-18 with total page 240 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is awesome awful! Did you know that "awful" first originated as a compliment? How about the fact that it was perfectly fine for someone to defecate in their living room? Or that at one time a bully was actually a sweetheart? You may think that these things sound outlandish, but hundreds of years ago, the words "awful," "defecate," and "bully" meant something entirely different than what we know today. The Unexpected Evolution of Language reveals the origins of 208 everyday terms and the interesting stories behind their shift in meaning. Arranged in alphabetical order, you will enjoy uncovering the backstories to terms like: Awful - worthy of respect or fear; inspiring awe Bimbo - slang for a stupid, inconsequential man Defecate - to purify; cleanse Invest - to clothe; to dress Nice - foolish; stupid Relay - hunting term meaning fresh pack of hounds From "aftermath" and "sophisticated" to "empty" and "prestige," you will aboslutely love seeing just what kind of damage time has done to the English language.
Download or read book The Origins of Words and Phrases written by Reader's Digest Australia Staff and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 382 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book delights in both the historical depth and the sheer quirkiness of English. The A to Z of words and phrases is interspersed with special features on such topics as Australian words, catchphrases, pop lyrics and street slang. Go straight to a word for its origin, or dip in and out for entertaining enlightenment. Travel the globe to find out more about the English language.
Download or read book The Origins of English Words written by Joseph Twadell Shipley and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2001-07-01 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Anecdotal, eclectic, and always enthusiastic, The Origins of English Words is a diverting expedition beyond linguistics into literature, history, folklore, anthropology, philosophy, and science.
Download or read book Word Origins And How We Know Them written by Anatoly Liberman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2009-04-13 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written in a funny, charming, and conversational style, Word Origins is the first book to offer a thorough investigation of the history and the science of etymology, making this little-known field accessible to everyone interested in the history of words. Anatoly Liberman, an internationally acclaimed etymologist, takes the reader by the hand and explains the many ways that English words can be made, and the many ways in which etymologists try to unearth the origins of words. Every chapter is packed with dozens of examples of proven word histories, used to illustrate the correct ways to trace the origins of words as well as some of the egregiously bad ways to trace them. He not only tells the known origins of hundreds of words, but also shows how their origins were determined. And along the way, the reader is treated to a wealth of fascinating word facts. Did they once have bells in a belfry? No, the original meaning of belfry was siege tower. Are the words isle and island, raven and ravenous, or pan and pantry related etymologically? No, though they look strikingly similar, these words came to English via different routes. Partly a history, partly a how-to, and completely entertaining, Word Origins invites readers behind the scenes to watch an etymologist at work.
Download or read book Oxford Dictionary of Word Origins written by Julia Cresswell and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 2010-09-09 with total page 514 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains alphabetically arranged entries that explore the origin, evolution, and social history of over three thousand English language words.
Download or read book Dictionary of Word Origins written by John Ayto and published by Arcade. This book was released on 2011-04-01 with total page 592 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Uncover the hidden and often surprising connection between words. Written in a clear and informative style, the more than 8,000 articles reveal the origins of and links between some of the most common English-language words. What is the link between map and apron, acrobat and oxygen, zeal and jealousy, flour and pollen, secret and crime? Did you know that crimson originally comes from the name of tiny scale insects, the kermes, from whose dried bodies a red dyestuff is made? That Yankee began as a nickname for Dutchmen? That omelette evolved from amulette, “a thin sheet of metal,” and is a not-too-distant cousin of the word laminate? That jeans find their antecedent in jean fustian, meaning “a cotton fabric from Genoa”? They also contain an extensive selection of words whose life histories are intrinsically fascinating or instructive. This dictionary shows how modern English has developed from its Indo-European roots and how the various influences on the language—from migration and invasion to exploration, trade, technology, and scholarship—have intermingled. It is an invaluable addition to any English or linguistics library.
Download or read book The Complete Idiot s Guide to Weird Word Origins written by Paul McFedries and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2008-08-05 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get ready to chew the fat. This engaging, humorous new book explains the not-so-common origins of such commonly used phrases as “apple-pie order,” “chew the fat,” and “hat trick.” Presented in a fun, easy-to-read style, it provides entertaining insight on metaphorical phrases, weird words, and strange expressions and takes readers on a journey through the bizarre and eccentric origins that make up our everyday speech. • Word books have gained in popularity not just with students and linguaphiles, but with a general population interested in the fascinating development of our language. • Contains back stories for 500 intriguing words and phrases. • Fun to flip through and also fun to read cover to cover.
Download or read book Dictionary of Word Origins written by Joseph T Shipley and published by Open Road Media. This book was released on 2021-10-26 with total page 1067 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This extensive reference volume presents the etymological history of thousands of English words. The story of how words come to be is the story of how humans think, and how we fashion our civilizations. Words can be the product of long and intertwining histories, migrations from other languages, or new coinages of science or slang. This diversity of origins is part of what gives the English language its beauty and power. In Dictionary of Word Origins, etymologist Joseph T. Shipley provides a fascinating window into the evolution of modern English, from the onomatopoetic aspect of “abash” to the animalistic origins of “zodiac.”
Download or read book The Origin of Names Words and Everything in Between written by Patrick Foote and published by Mango Media Inc.. This book was released on 2021-10-12 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dive Into the Fun Facts Behind Names and Word Origins #1 Bestseller in Words, Language & Grammar, Etymology The best-selling book is back in it’s second volume with more names, more words, and even more in-between than before! What’s in a name? The answer is far more complex and interesting than you may think. From the person behind the popular Youtube channel, NameExplain, comes the second volume of his best-selling book The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between. This new book is a fun, interesting and educational journey through the world of etymology. It covers a huge array of names from a variety of topic areas, and includes a bunch of random facts behind the names. From first names, to bodies of water?there’s no name big or small, important or obscure that won’t be explained. Find fun facts. Presented in a light and entertaining manner, The Origin of Names compels you to learn a ton of things you didn’t know you wanted to know. Unlike a dictionary, everything in this book is easy to understand and can be read from start to finish, or in short bursts. It’s also a lot more fun to read?Patrick explains each name with jokes and quips you’re bound to enjoy, and it’s full of pictures too! Be the know-it-all you always wanted to be. In The Origin of Names you’ll: Learn fascinating word origins and bizarre name meanings Be able to entertain yourself and friends with random facts Gain honor and renown for your unrivaled knowledge of etymology If you enjoyed books like Interesting Stories For Curious People, Stuff You Should Know, or The Great Book of American Idioms, then you’ll love The Origin of Names, Words and Everything in Between: Volume II.
Download or read book Words written by Jane Sarnoff and published by Atheneum. This book was released on 1981 with total page 72 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A simple introduction to the etymology of familiar words and phrases.
