Word Drops

A Sprinkling of Linguistic Curiosities

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Reading, Vocabulary
Cover of the book Word Drops by Paul Anthony Jones, University of New Mexico Press
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Author: Paul Anthony Jones ISBN: 9780826356574
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press Publication: April 1, 2016
Imprint: University of New Mexico Press Language: English
Author: Paul Anthony Jones
ISBN: 9780826356574
Publisher: University of New Mexico Press
Publication: April 1, 2016
Imprint: University of New Mexico Press
Language: English

From aardvark to zenzizenzizenzic, Word Drops collects a thousand obscure words and language facts in one fascinating chain of word associations. Did you know, for example, that scandal derives from the Latin for “stumbling block” and originally described a trap for a wild animal? In nineteenth-century slang a wolf trap was a corrupt casino. Casino means “little house” in Italian. Roulette means “little wheel” in French. A wheeler is someone who attends auctions to bid on items merely to increase their sale price. Such links take readers on an unexpected journey through linguistic oddities. Inspired by the popular @HaggardHawks Twitter account, Word Drops also uses an intriguing series of annotations to add background and historical context on everything from Anglo-Saxon cures for insanity to Samuel Pepys’s cure for a hangover. This unique book will delight anyone who loves language, etymology, and word games.

Not for sale in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, or Canada

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

From aardvark to zenzizenzizenzic, Word Drops collects a thousand obscure words and language facts in one fascinating chain of word associations. Did you know, for example, that scandal derives from the Latin for “stumbling block” and originally described a trap for a wild animal? In nineteenth-century slang a wolf trap was a corrupt casino. Casino means “little house” in Italian. Roulette means “little wheel” in French. A wheeler is someone who attends auctions to bid on items merely to increase their sale price. Such links take readers on an unexpected journey through linguistic oddities. Inspired by the popular @HaggardHawks Twitter account, Word Drops also uses an intriguing series of annotations to add background and historical context on everything from Anglo-Saxon cures for insanity to Samuel Pepys’s cure for a hangover. This unique book will delight anyone who loves language, etymology, and word games.

Not for sale in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, or Canada

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