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Six Words You Never Knew Had Something to Do with Pigs : And Other Fascinating

Six Words You Never Knew Had Something to Do with Pigs : And Other Fascinating Facts about the English Language Paperback - 2007

by Katherine Barber

  • Used
  • Good
  • Paperback

A delightfully addictive compendium of fascinating word facts that does for the dictionary what Eats, Shoots, and Leaves did for the manual of style

With the easy erudition and lively wit that have won her legions of fans, Canada's "Word Lady" reveals the entertaining histories behind 500 of the most common words and phrases in the English language. Who knew that "travel" is derived from an instrument of torture? That "tragedy" originally had something to do with goats? That "glamour" and "grammar" started out as the same word? Katherine Barber's captivating collection is organized by season, so readers can open to Valentine's Day to learn about the origins of "passion fruit" or flip to Thanksgiving to find out why there aren't any turkeys in Turkey. An irresistible blend of entertainment and enlightenment, this delightful book will captivate the word lover in all of us.

Description

Penguin Publishing Group, 2007. Paperback. Good. Disclaimer:A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact. The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include previous owner inscriptions. At ThriftBooks, our motto is: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed.
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Summary

A delightfully addictive compendium of fascinating word facts that does for the dictionary what Eats, Shoots, and Leaves did for the manual of styleWith the easy erudition and lively wit that have won her legions of fans, Canada's "Word Lady" reveals the entertaining histories behind 500 of the most common words and phrases in the English language. Who knew that "travel" is derived from an instrument of torture? That "tragedy" originally had something to do with goats? That "glamour" and "grammar" started out as the same word? Katherine Barber's captivating collection is organized by season, so readers can open to Valentine's Day to learn about the origins of "passion fruit" or flip to Thanksgiving to find out why there aren't any turkeys in Turkey. An irresistible blend of entertainment and enlightenment, this delightful book will captivate the word lover in all of us.

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