Six Words You Never Knew Had Something to Do with Pigs: And Other Fascinating Facts About the English Language

by Katherine Barber

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101201237
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/24/2007
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	240
File size:	880 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Raised in Winnipeg, Katherine Barber attended the University of Winnipeg and the University of Ottawa. Her first job working on a dictionary was with the Bilingual Canadian Dictionary project at the University of Ottawa. In 1991, she was recruited by Oxford University Press to head up their newly-created Canadian dictionary department. Being Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Oxford Dictionary has also brought unexpected fame to Katherine Barber. From the moment the project was announced, she has been conducting radio and television interviews, and for the last few years has had a regular spot on CBC Radio's "Metro Morning" show in Toronto.

Table of Contents

Preface     ix
Bluff Your Way in Etymology     xi
Spring     1
Down on the Farm     2
Give Me a Break!     9
Hallelujah!     17
Easter Bonnets     20
The Tax Man Cometh     22
Birds of a Feather     27
The Rake's Progress     31
Memorial Day     34
Good Stuff Cheap     42
Summer     47
A Matter of Degree     48
Fore!     52
Here Comes the Bride     55
Eating Out on the Fourth of July     62
My Little Place in the Country     68
The Dog Days of Summer     70
Getting All Jammed Up     73
Hitting the Road     78
Tennis, Anyone?     83
Stormy Weather     86
Labor Day     90
Fall     93
Back to School     94
Games Children Play     105
Teenspeak     108
Shall We Dance?     110
On Stage     114
Music to Our Ears     117
Hard to Keep Them Down on the Farm     120
The Hunt Is On     124
Batter Up!     126
Diwali     132
Thanksgiving     134
Sale! Hurry In!     138
Beyond the Advent Calendar     143
Only 24 Shopping Days Left     147
Winter     151
Wassail, Wassail All over the Town     152
Bundle Up!     162
Happy New Year!     165
New Year's Babies     172
Chinese New Year     177
Auld Lang Syne     179
Place Your Bets     182
Flu Season     184
The Budget Message     190
Be Mine     195
With Easter Fast Approaching     199
The Envelope, Please     202
Lots of Hebrew Words     203
Words     207
Languages     213

Editorial Reviews

This paperback original will cure you of the notion that dictionaries are dull. Canadian Oxford Dictionary editor-in-chief Katherine Barber has uncovered the histories of more than 500 common words and phrases to reveal their surprising etymologies. Did you know, for instance, that "travel" derives from an instrument of torture or that "tragedy" owes its origins to a goat song? Barber's lively exploration is organized by season, an imaginative strategy that enhances the book's entertainment value.