QPB Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase OriginsAuthor Robert Hendrickson traces the sometimes bizarre, always fascinating origins and development of more than 9,000 words and phrases from A to Zzz, including slang, proverbs, animal and plant names, place-names, nicknames, historical expressions, foreign-language expressions, and phrases from literature. This greatly expanded and revised version of the critically acclaimed 1987 original contains more than 2,000 new entries. Comprehensive, authoritative, and eminently readable, The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins will delight the logophile and serve as an invaluable reference tool for all students of language and literature. |
Other editions - View all
The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins Robert Hendrickson No preview available - 2008 |
Common terms and phrases
19th century American American expression ancient apple applied ball baseball bean became believed Bible bird blue British called coined color comes common corruption dates back death describe Dictionary drink Dutch early 19th century England English word especially etymologists euphemism expression famous fish flowers French fruit garden gave German give gold Greek Greek mythology H. L. Mencken honor horse humorous Indian invented Irish Italian John King known lady land language late 19th century later Latin least legend letter lived Mark Twain meant medieval Middle English nickname Old English Old French one's originally person phrase plant play player poem poet popular probably recorded refers Roman sense Shakespeare ship slang someone song Spanish spelled story suggested synonym takes its name term theory tion tree West woman word derives World War II writer wrote