In a Word: 750 Words and Their Fascinating Stories and Origins

(Hardback)

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Each word or phrase used today had a beginning - a reason for being coined. Words travel through time and evolve, taking on new characteristics, new meanings, and fascinating tales of people, places, and events. Applaud, for example, goes back to ancient Rome, when an actor would turn to the audience and demand "Plaudite!" ("Clap!") This fun book contains 750 word origins written in a witty short-story style. Many of the words are accompanied by "P.S.'s," that provide details about a word's history and usage. Witty illustrations by Tom Lopes showcase many of the words' visual connections. The book comes with a language chart, an index, and an introduction by a linguistics scholar.

Reviews

"The writing is accessible as well as intelligent. A worthwhile acquisition for both middle- and high-school libraries."