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A New York Times Notable Book
The Professor and the Madman is an extraordinary tale of madness, genius, and the incredible obsessions of two remarkable men that led to the making of the Oxford English Dictionary—and literary history.
The making of the OED was one of the most ambitious projects ever undertaken. As definitions were collected, the overseeing committee, led by Professor James Murray,
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English
Description
"Peter Winceworth, a disaffected Victorian lexicographer, inserts false entries into a dictionary - violating and subverting the dictionary's authority - in an attempt to assert some sense of individual purpose and artistic freedom. In the present day, Mallory, a young overworked and underpaid intern employed by the dictionary's publishing house, is tasked with uncovering these entries before the work is digitised. As the novel progresses and their...
Author
Language
English
Description
In day-to-day speech, we use words and phrases without a passing thought as to why we use them or where they come from. Max Cryer changes all that by showing how fascinating the English language really is. Did you know that the former host of Today, Jane Pauley, claims to have coined the term "bad hair day," or that a CBS engineer named Charley Douglass invented the name and use of "canned laughter" for television, or that "cold turkey" as a term...
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Language
English
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THEREBY HANGS A TALE Stories of Curious Word Origins Charles Earle Funk, Litt. D. PERENNIAL LIBRARY Harper Row, Publishers New York, Cambridge, Philadelphia, San Francisco London, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Singapore, Sydney To B. M. F. Who patiently and often has listened to many of these tales, this book is lovingly dedicated. PREFACE THIS book Is the outcome of a collection of material that has been slowly accumulating over the past thirty years or...
Author
Language
English
Description
Words are essential to our everyday lives. An average person spends his or her day enveloped in conversations, e-mails, phone calls, text messages, directions, headlines, and more. But how often do we stop to think about the origins of the words we use? Have you ever thought about which words in English have been borrowed from Arabic, Dutch, or Portuguese? Try admiral, landscape, and marmalade, just for starters.
The Secret Life of Words is a wide-ranging...
Author
Language
English
Description
This A-to-Z etymology guide reveals the people and characters whose names have evolved into common English words.
Have you ever wondered about the origins of words like "Bowdlerize"? In 1818 Thomas Bowdler published and abridged set of Shakespeare's plays which "omitted those passages which might offend family propriety"-thereby making his name literally synonymous with the practice of distorting someone's words. In Word Origins, Cecil Hunt provides...
Author
Language
English
Description
This book consists of more than 1,000 animal expressions in everyday language and where they came from. Do you have "an eagle eye" for a bargain? Have you ever been "hounded" by a "loan shark" or hustled by a "pool shark?" Here you can get the lowdown on the fox trot, puppy love, monkeyshines, cowlicks, Cub Scouts, bulls and bears, jaywalkers, gift horses, white elephants, and jailbirds. You may never let "sleeping dogs lie" again.
Author
Language
English
Description
A history of English from the age of Beowulf to the rap of Eminem.
Many have written about the evolution of grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary, but only Seth Lerer situates these developments within the larger history of English, America, and literature. This edition features a new chapter on the influence of biblical translation and an epilogue on the relationship of English speech to writing.
A unique blend of historical and personal narrative....
Author
Series
Word travelers volume 1
Accelerated Reader
IL: LG - BL: 5.3 - AR Pts: 1
Language
English
Description
Eddie and MJ are suddenly transported to India where they must use their word knowledge to solve a mystery and help their new friend Dev save his school.
Author
Series
Word travelers volume 2
Language
English
Description
Eddie and MJ use their awesome enchanted book to journey to Mexico, discover how Mexican culture has influences the English language, learn about local customs, and solve an exciting mystery.
Author
Language
English
Description
"In Around the World in 80 Words, Jones tells the story of eighty English-language words that are specially related to a place. He tells us, for example, where the name for the Canary Islands came from, the relationship between the town of J©Łchymov in the Czech Republic and the word "dollar," and he dispels the myth that the term "limerick" comes from the last name of Edward Lear. Throughout this engaging journey, the reader gains valuable insights...
Author
Pub. Date
2023.
Language
English
Description
"So many of the words that we use to chronicle women's lives feel awkward or alien. Medical terms are scrupulously accurate but antiseptic. Slang and obscenities have shock value, yet they perpetuate taboos. Where are the plain, honest words for women's daily lives? Mother Tongue is a historical investigation of feminist language and thought, from the dawn of Old English to the present day. Dr. Jenni Nuttall guides readers through the evolution of...
Author
Language
English
Description
"Standard grammar and accurate spelling are widely considered hallmarks of a good education, but their exact definitions are much more contentious -- capable of inciting a full-blown grammar war at the splice of a comma, battles readily visible in the media and online in the comments of blogs and chat rooms. With an accessible and enthusiastic journalistic approach, Ostler considers these grammatical shibboleths, tracing current debates back to America's...