2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings and Expressions from White Elephants to Song Dance

2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings, & Expressions / 0-88365-845-3

I picked up this book second-hand, but I didn't get a chance to get around to it until I had my wisdom teeth taken out. Banished to bed by a well-meaning family (it honestly didn't hurt!), I finally got a chance to browse through this large tome.

2107 Curious Word Origins is a fun read, and an even more fun "skim". The expressions are dealt with in plain, straightforward English prose, with the author carefully and engagingly outlining the origins and usage of each unusual word or phrase. Some of the phrases are a bit out-of-date to my ears (or perhaps I live in the wrong area of the country) - "hog on ice" was certainly something I'd never heard before. But other words (juggernaut) were very familiar - so familiar that I was startled to realize that I'd never even bothered to wonder where they had come from before!

It was interesting to see the evolution of common words and terms, and while most of this can probably be found online, you're unlikely to find them all compiled together in an easily browsed source. I will admit that this probably isn't a cover-to-cover read, but it is useful for looking up terms and fun for browsing on a lazy afternoon. I recommend this book, if only because it is so unique and the price on Amazon is so cheap.

I'm terribly fond of this collection as both a useful resource and an entertaining read. The information contained herein is useful, informative, and written in an engaging, accessible style. If you've ever wondered about the origins of curious expressions or words, here is the place to look.

You know those books that use too many of these. . . 1888 (ci) [belg.] having to do with or related to: (types of) {relative to}. . . Kinda hard to follow with all that jargon. Simple phrases aren't in there. Index doesn't really organize the words or phrases well. It is almost written like a dictionary but not in alphabetical order. The book didn't focus on phrases as much as it did single words like "cannibal" and "catacomb" and so on.

Not what I expected (very big and bulky book). I reccomend Heavens To Betsy & Other Curious Sayings but since the republishing of it (2002) it seems it has changed. Oh well

What a fun book! We often pull this one off the shelf when we use an expression and wonder where it comes from. It is a book that invites browsing, and is hard to close once you are into it. We've learned all sorts of great stuff from this book, and since language does not develop in a void, what we have gleaned from this book has led us to research and learning about other areas as well.

I came across this book at a local bookstore that had a selection of books for word lovers. I perused it while I drank my frappacino, and soon was convinced I had to take it home with me. It is the most intriguing book I have ever read. It is formatted like a dictionary, but for everyone who loves word origin and other trivia, you will come back to it time and again. It is an example of useless knowledge at its best. The history of the word "omelette" is absolutely fascinating, and the evolution in the pronunciation of "one" intrigues me. They still can't decide where "hobo" comes from.

I should mention one minute drawback--the man who first wrote these books (and his son continues the tradition) lived at the beginning of the twentieth century, so the book isn't as "hip" as the title would seem to indicate. If you aren't already interested in words, this won't get you going.