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Title details for The Accidental Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones - Available

The Accidental Dictionary

by Paul Anthony Jones
ebook
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Our everyday language is full of surprises; its origins are stranger than you might think. Any word might be knocked and buffeted, subjected to twists and turns, expansions and contractions, happy and unhappy accidents. There are intriguing tales behind even the most familiar terms, and they can say as much about the present as they do the past.Busking, for instance, originally meant piracy. Grin meant to snarl. A bimbo was a man; nice meant ignorant; glamor was magic; and a cupboard was a table. Buxom used to mean obedient; a cloud was a rock; raunchy originally meant dirty.Focusing on one hundred surprising threads in the evolution of English, The Accidental Dictionary reveals the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today. It is a weird and wonderful journey into words.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    October 3, 2017

  • Formats

    • Kindle Book

    • OverDrive Read

      • ISBN: 9781681775852
      • File size: 840 KB

    • EPUB ebook

      • ISBN: 9781681775852
      • File size: 840 KB

  • Accessibility

    No publisher statement provided

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

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Formats

  • Kindle Book
  • OverDrive Read
  • EPUB ebook

subjects

Languages

  • English