Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds : Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins

English

ISBN: 0060851538

EAN: 9780060851538

Category: Language Arts & Disciplines / Etymology

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Release Date: 09/19/2011

Synopsis: The cats pajamas, the bees knees, and the whole nine yards rolled into one, this true feast for word lovers skewers commonly accepted word-origin myths and etymological folktales. Writing with flair and authority, word maven and Oxford English Dictionary contributor Michael Quinion shows us that the real story behind a word or phrase is often much stranger than the commonly accepted one. With this book in your arsenal, youll have the last word in every word-lovers game of one-upmanship. So if youve ever wondered why we utter such oddities as raining cats and dogs, I couldnt care less, or twenty-three skidoo, this ones for you. No ballyhoo!

Excerpt: Unknown Property Excerpt

Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds : Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins

Illustrated: No

Format: Paperback

Height: 0.66 inches

Width: 5.31 inches

Length: 8.0 inches

Weight: 8.99 oz

Pages: 288