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1	Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words more books like this by John Marciano (Illustrator) add to wishlist An encyclopedia of linguistic biographies: the witty, illustrated stories of the Earl of Sandwich, Charles Boycott, and other historical figures better known as words than people. Eponymous, "adj. "Giving one's name to a person, place, or thing. Anonymous, "adj. "Anonymous. Anonyponymous, "adj. "Anonymous and eponymous. The Earl of Sandwich, ... see all copies from £10.85! new only from £11.91!
2	Why Do We Say It?: The Stories Behind the Words, Expressions and Cliches We Use more books like this by Castle Books add to wishlist The stories behind the words and phrases we use. see all copies from £5.57! new only from £7.43! \| first editions
3	Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language more books like this by Patricia T O'Conner, Stewart Kellerman add to wishlist This witty and informative book debunks myths that bamboozle word-loving fansand offers a delightful primer on the eccentricities of the English language.288 pp. see all copies from £11.98! new only from £12.15! \| first editions
4	Heavens to Betsy!: & Other Curious Sayings more books like this by Charles Earle Funk add to wishlist Whether it's like "a bump on a log" or "a bat out of hell, " these expressions have been around forever. Dr. Funk explains over 400 droll, colorful, and sometimes pungent expressions of everyday speech. Derived from classical sources, historic events, famous literature, frontier humor, and the frailties of humankind, each of these sayings have an ... see all copies from £4.95! new only from £5.57! \| first editions
5	Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold Story of English more books like this by John McWhorter add to wishlist A survey of the quirks and quandaries of the English language, this work focuses on its strange and wonderful grammar. Delving into provocative topics and more, "Our Magnificent Bastard Language" distills hundreds of years of fascinating lore into one lively history. see all copies from £6.74! new only from £8.25! \| first editions
6	The New Joys of Yiddish: Completely Updated more books like this by Leo Calvin Rosten, Lawrence Bush (Revised by) add to wishlist Revised by Lawrence Bush, this is Rosten's classic celebration and exploration of the Yiddish language--nothing less than a "mitzvah" (a "good work", a virtuous, kind, considerate, ethical deed). see all copies from £5.79! new only from £12.05!
7	Our Latin Heritage more books like this by Lillian M. Hines add to wishlist see all copies from £5.57! new only from £65.61!
8	The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology more books like this by C T Onions (Editor), G W S Friedrichsen, Robert W Burchfield add to wishlist With the assistance of: Friedrichsen, G. W. S.; Unknown function: Burchfield, R. W. see all copies from £18.10! new only from £43.23!
9	Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins more books like this by William Morris, Mary Morris add to wishlist "A grand compendium of fascinating and little-known stories behind words and expressions we use every day, buttressed by the fine scholarship one would expect of these noted wordsmiths: It hasn't a dull page." see all copies from £4.99! new only from £11.73! \| first editions
10	Reading the Oed: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages more books like this by Ammon Shea add to wishlist With sharp wit, sheer delight, and a keen eye, Shea shares his year inside the "Oxford English Dictionary," delivering a hair-pulling, eye-crossing account of reading every word, and revealing the most obscure, hilarious, and wonderful gems he discovers along the way. see all copies from £5.57! new only from £5.57! \| signed copies \| first editions
11 view cover	Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language more books like this by Professor Seth Lerer add to wishlist Why is there such a striking difference between English spelling and English pronunciation? How did our relatively simple grammar rules develop? What are the origins of regional dialect, literary language, and everyday speech, and what do they have to do with you? Based on the enormous success of his video and lecture series and the widespread ... see all copies from £10.19! new only from £12.66! \| first editions
12 view cover	Alphabet Juice: The Energies, Gists, and Spirits of Letters, Words, and Combinations Thereof; Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory more books like this by Roy Blount, Jr. add to wishlist Did you know that both mammal and matter derive from baby talk? Have you noticed how wince makes you wince? Ever wonder why so many h-words have to do with breath? Roy Blount Jr. certainly has, and after forty years of making a living using words in every medium, print or electronic, except greeting cards, he still can't get over his ABCs. In ... see all copies from £5.90! new only from £5.90! \| signed copies \| first editions
13 view cover	Word Origins: A Classic Exploration of Words and Language more books like this by Dr. Wilfred Funk add to wishlist In Wilfred Funk's cultural history on the origins of words, the noted lexicographer arranges words according to themes, including politics, religion, history, cooking, scientific names, proper names, and sports. see all copies from £6.28! new only from £15.00! \| first editions
14 view cover	Language in thought and action more books like this by Samuel Ichiye Hayakawa add to wishlist An introduction to the study of semantics, which examines human interaction through communication, toward a more sophisticated understanding of the role of language in life, the complex functions language performs and the way language, sometimes without knowing, shapes our thinking. see all copies from £1.24! new only from £13.55! \| signed copies \| first editions
15 view cover	Surnames of Ireland more books like this by Edward MacLysaght add to wishlist Ireland was one of the earliest countries to evolve a system of hereditary surnames. More than 4,000 Gaelic, Norman and Anglo-Irish surnames are listed in this book, giving a wealth of information on the background and location of Irish families. Edward MacLysaght was a leading authority on Irish names and family history. He served as Chief Herald ... see all copies from £5.57! new only from £16.93! \| first editions
16 view cover	Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends more books like this by David Wilton add to wishlist Do you "know" that posh comes from an acronym meaning "port out, starboard home"? That "the whole nine yards" comes from (pick one) the length of a WWII gunner's belt; the amount of fabric needed to make a kilt; a sarcastic football expression? That Chicago is called "The Windy City" because of the bloviating habits of its politicians, and not the ... see all copies from £5.57! new only from £5.57!
17 view cover	The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins more books like this by Robert Hendrickson add to wishlist This is an updated encyclopedia that explores the origins of thousands of words and phrases.The most comprehensive single-volume reference of its kind, "The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Fourth Edition" has been completely updated and expanded and now contains definitions and origins of more than 15,000 words and ... see all copies from £5.57! new only from £13.63!
18 view cover	Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins more books like this by Charles E Funk add to wishlist English has hundreds of everyday words that originated or acquired their meanings in unusual ways. Dictionaries don't have the space to tell all the mysteries but Dr. Funk, with humor and insight, tells the strange and intriguing stories of hundreds of words and how they came to be a part of the language. see all copies from £4.95! new only from £5.57! \| first editions
19 view cover	The story of English more books like this by McCrum add to wishlist This text examines the origins and development of the English language. 2000 years ago, English was confined to a handful of savage tribes on the shores of north-west Europe. Today, in one form or another, it is spoken by a billion people around the world, of whom 350 million use it as their mother tongue. More widely scattered, written and spoken ... see all copies from £1.24! new only from £6.66! \| signed copies \| first editions
20 view cover	In Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World more books like this by Christopher Moore add to wishlist When ideas fail, words come in handy. But sometimes you can't find the right word, and what you want to say can't be found in the dictionary. English has its limitations, but the expression you're searching for may exist in another language. "In Other Words "is a unique collection of well-known and absolutely obscure "untranslatables"--linguistic ... see all copies from £4.15! new only from £6.47! \| first editions
21 view cover	The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English more books like this by Henry Hitchings add to wishlist Communication is essential to our lives, but how often do we stop to think about where the words we use have come from? Have you ever thought about which words in English have been borrowed from Arabic, French or Dutch? Try admiral, landscape and marmalade just for starters. The Secret Life of Words is a wide-ranging account not only of the ... see all copies from £6.81! new only from £6.81!
22 view cover	Hog on Ice more books like this by Funk add to wishlist Dr. Funk has taken hundreds of picturesque sayings that we use without thinking in our daily speech and has traced them back through the years to find the original allusions. see all copies from £4.95! new only from £6.19! \| first editions
23 view cover	The World in a Phrase: A Brief History of the Aphorism more books like this by James Geary add to wishlist For lovers of words and seekers of wisdom, here is a lively history of aphorisms--the oldest written art form--and the intriguing people who have penned them, from the Buddha to Emily Dickinson. see all copies from £4.94! new only from £5.57! \| first editions
24 view cover	Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society more books like this by Professor Raymond Williams add to wishlist Now revised to include new words and updated essays, Keywords focuses on the sociology of language, demonstrating how the key words we use to understand our society take on new meanings and how these changes reflect the political bent and values of society. see all copies from £1.24! new only from £11.70! \| first editions
25 view cover	The Greek & Latin Roots of English more books like this by Tamara M. Green add to wishlist Over 60% of all English words have Greek or Latin roots; in the vocabulary of the sciences and technology, it's over 90%. Thus, studying the Greek and Latin roots of English is essential to understanding English vocabulary and how the history of the English language has shaped our perceptions of the world around us. Now in its third edition, "The ... see all copies from £7.69! new only from £31.42! \| first editions

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	The Oxford Dictionary of Word Histories by Glynnis Chantrell (Editor) see all from £2.57! new only from £6.81!
	Symbol, Status, and Personality by Samuel I Hayakawa see all from £4.95! new only from £11.75!
	The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester see all from £1.24! new only from £2.06!
	Joys of Yiddish by Leo Calvin Rosten see all from £5.57!
	A History of the English Language by Albert Croll Baugh see all from £1.56! new only from £14.67!
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