click to view more

Word Drops: A Sprinkling of Linguistic Curiosities

by Word Drops: A Sprinkling of Linguistic Curiosities

$12.87

List Price: $19.95
Save: $7.08 (35%)
add to favourite
  • In Stock - Ship in 24 hours with Free Online tracking.
  • FREE DELIVERY by Monday, June 02, 2025
  • 24/24 Online
  • Yes High Speed
  • Yes Protection
Last update:

Description

From aardvark to zenzizenzizenzic, Word Drops collects a thousand obscure words and language facts in one fascinating chain of word associations. Did you know, for example, that scandal derives from the Latin for "stumbling block" and originally described a trap for a wild animal? In nineteenth-century slang a wolf trap was a corrupt casino. Casino means "little house" in Italian. Roulette means "little wheel" in French. A wheeler is someone who attends auctions to bid on items merely to increase their sale price. Such links take readers on an unexpected journey through linguistic oddities. Inspired by the popular @HaggardHawks Twitter account, Word Drops also uses an intriguing series of annotations to add background and historical context on everything from Anglo-Saxon cures for insanity to Samuel Pepys's cure for a hangover. This unique book will delight anyone who loves language, etymology, and word games.

Not for sale in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, or Canada

Last updated on

Product Details

  • Apr 1, 2016 Pub Date:
  • 0826356567 ISBN-10:
  • 9780826356567 ISBN-13:
  • English Language