What in the Word? Wordplay, Word Lore, and Answers to Your Peskiest Questions about Language (Harvest Original)
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.37 (953 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0156031973 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 304 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-06-23 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
Three Stars Mary Not what I thought it would be about.. Great bathroom reading. And I mean it in a nice way! Esther Schindler Each essay in this book discusses one minor point of vocabulary or word usage. Most of them are only about a page long. They're entertaining and educational, though you don't get the sense of the deep scholarship in etymology behind, say, Michael Quinion's "weird. R.LAW said A quirky book that's lots of fun. Great little book for those curious about the strange and odd twists and turns the English language takes when used in everyday life. Mr. Elster reveals the origin of many of the phrases used in modern conversation and relentlessly criticizes those people in our
All rights reserved. . Those looking for that perfect word to describe something unique will find it here. From School Library Journal Adult/High School–Each chapter of this enjoyable book features original brainteasers, challenging puzzles, and a trove of literary trivia. Elster uses a lively question-and-answer format to cover a variety of topics–word and phrase origins, slang, style, usage, punctuation, and pronunciation. Without an index, this volume is not an ideal reference work, but it makes for good casual reading.–Erin Dennington, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. Readers will glean the meaning behind pushing the envelope and be informed that the phrase happ
Every chapter features original brainteasers, challenging puzzles, and a trove of literary trivia.. Christ? If you can't, be assured that Charles Harrington Elster, author of several well-loved works on language, can-and does in his latest book, a delightfully designed compendium of the most common, interesting, and entertaining conundrums in our language. Are you so sure about "assure," "ensure," and "insure" ? Can you determine whether a knob of butter is equivalent to a lump or a pat or a scosh? Can you say which word in the English language has the most definitions, or who put the H in Jesus H. Drawing upon esoteric sources and his own inimitable expertise, Elster uses a li