Can you be gruntled ? Who was the original dogsbody ? And why would you have the screaming ab-dabs ? Long-time word detective Michael Quinion brings us the answers to nearly 200 of the most intriguing questions he's been asked about language over the years.
Can it really be true that 'golf' stands for 'Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden'? Or that 'rule of thumb' comes from an archaic legal principle that a man may chastise his wife, but only with a rod no thicker than his thumb? These and hundreds of other stories are commonly told and retold whenever people meet. They grow up in part because expressions are often genuinely mysterious. Why, for example, are satisfying meals 'square' rather than any other shape? And how did anyone ever come up with the idea that if you're competent at something you can 'cut the mustard'? Michael Quinion here retells many of the more bizarre tales, and explains their real origins where they're known. This is a fascinating treasure-trove of fiction and fact for anyone interested in language.
The codebook has arrived! Some of the most common--and often misinterpreted--parts of English language construction are prefixes and suffixes. Ologies and Isms unlocks the meaning of these building blocks that make up so much of our modern medical and technical vocabulary. In accessible, plain language this book explains what each affix means. With its huge store of examples--over 10,000 across 1,250 entries--this ready reference illustrates the numerous ways that each is used in everyday speech and writing. Organized in a handy A to Z format, the book features a full Introduction, a section with definitions of technical terms, and a selective thematic index. Anyone (and there are quite a few of us) who has puzzled over 'antidisestablishmentarianism' or struggled with 'histopathologist' will welcome this volume for the relief it provides.