The Merriam-Webster New Book of Word Histories

This is not a dictionary, a thesaurus, or a book of formal etymology. So, what is it? Well, it takes the word lover on a tour of approximately 1,500 words. We get to find out not only a definition of the word, but its history. How it came to be. Yes, there is some etymology (study of word origins) in this, but the way a word comes to mean what it does can take surprising turns that its origins do not explain. (Also, within some of these histories, the authors provide words of similar origins and histories, so it really is more than 1,500 words.)

While you can use this book to look up words, there are so relatively few that you will more likely miss more often than you will hit. What the book is really for is to fill a few extra minutes with a tour of something fascinating and to learn something you probably did not know. If you just sit down for hours reading many pages of the book you will actually not remember all the things you should. So, it is better to dip into this book frequently for short periods and think about the few words you read about and commit their history to memory rather than pushing your way through hundreds of pages that will evaporate the moment you close the book.

Quite an interesting resource.

A little of this goes a long way. This is ok if you are reading it now and then. The articles are short enough to do that. It would be tedious to read this in any sustained way, however.

'SIDEBURNS - During the American Civil War, the Union general Ambrose Everett Burnside wore long bushy side-whiskers. His appearance first struck the fancy of Washingtonians as he conducted parades and maneuvers with his regiment of Rhode Island volunteers...the fashion for such whiskers later came to be called burnsides. A later anagram of his name gives us the word sideburns.'

This handy reference is for the wordsmith or curious fact-finder. Behind each word lie stories from the past and famous imaginations. How words were written, understood, passed on, misused - they all lead to explanations for our understanding of them today. Origins of words like bikini, hippopotamus, and atlas are contained here. One word leads to another to another...the history here is funny, intriguing, and phenomenal.

Here is a wonderful collection of 1,500 word histories. This book goes beyond the typical etymology by providing the Story behind each of the selected words. Though the scholarship on the etymology of the word is not thorough (no roots, little in the way of derivation, no Indo-European development) the writing is clear, witty and conversational. The best book on the market for under $20 (and a real bargain at Amazon's price). Recommended.

The Merriam Webster New Book of Word Histories contains an excellent sytle of writing. It is the most detailed book of it's kind in paperback form. If you are looking to expound your vocabulary, this book covers it all from A-Z. Try it you'll love it.