false 755862 1 <B>From the creator of the popular A.Word.A.Day e-mail newsletter</B> <BR><BR> A collection of some of the most interesting stories and fascinating origins behind more than 300 words, names, and terms by the founder of WordSmith.org. <BR><BR> Did you know:<BR> There's a word for the pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell? <I>Petrichor</I>, combining <I>petros</I> (Greek for <I>stone</I>) and <I>ichor</I> (the fluid that flows in the veins of Greek gods). <BR><BR> An <I>illeist</I> is one who refers to oneself in the third person. <BR><BR> There's a word for feigning lack of interest in something while actually desiring it: <I>accismus</I>. <BR><BR> For any aspiring <I>deipnosophist</I> (a good conversationalist at meals) or devoted <I>Philomath</I> (a lover of learning), this anthology of entertaining etymology is an ideal way to have fun while getting smarter. 741978 30 11 2007 The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two: The Hidden Lives and Strange Origins of Common and Not-So-Common Words total:63|5:13|4:15|3:24|2:8|1:3| 63 216 164 20 0 1 false false Fri Oct 24 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 24 15:20:08 -0700 2008 Fri Oct 24 16:58:57 -0700 2008
Garg's origin of hazard (derives...more...]]> 4 0 false false Wed Jul 09 12:04:44 -0700 2008 Mon Aug 18 08:03:25 -0700 2008
You've really got to hand it to old Anu Garg: a non-English speaker (he's from India), he's authored three best-selling, English, books on the English language. Anyone who's ever learned a new language -- and enjoyed learn...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Nov 07 01:15:07 -0800 2007 Fri Aug 08 01:05:54 -0700 2008 This book is a delightful collection of some of the lives and origins of words. Why, I wonder, is...more...]]> 2 0 false false Sun Dec 28 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 30 11:33:26 -0800 2008 Tue Dec 30 11:41:29 -0800 2008 more...]]> 3 0 false false Wed Jan 07 09:32:39 -0800 2009 Wed Jan 07 09:33:57 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Mon Apr 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 01 04:06:34 -0700 2009 Thu Apr 16 19:12:46 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Fri Dec 19 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu Dec 04 06:23:16 -0800 2008 Wed Dec 24 21:45:03 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Wed Feb 06 11:33:06 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 26 23:00:10 -0800 2008 Sat Jan 26 23:02:12 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Jun 29 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sat Jun 21 04:54:24 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 29 18:40:56 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Aug 19 11:16:45 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 11:18:43 -0700 2008 3 0 false false Wed May 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Mar 23 08:00:58 -0700 2008 Thu May 22 08:19:39 -0700 2008 It's a book full of interesting words and the stories behind them. If you love words and the story behind them, this is a good book to read cover to cover or just to skim.]]> 1 0 false false Sun Jul 13 15:39:48 -0700 2008 Sun Apr 06 18:06:22 -0700 2008 Sun Jul 13 15:39:48 -0700 2008 Made in America, but what I got was a list of strange and interesting words with their definitions. Meh. ]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 04 14:13:16 -0800 2008 Mon Feb 04 14:34:51 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Sun Jun 08 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 08 13:50:33 -0700 2008 Sun Jun 08 13:51:24 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Tue Nov 20 11:09:48 -0800 2007 Tue Nov 20 11:10:16 -0800 2007 1 0 false false Tue Feb 10 17:44:12 -0800 2009 Wed Dec 03 06:03:52 -0800 2008 Tue Feb 10 17:44:12 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 20 13:50:54 -0800 2007 Tue Nov 20 13:51:46 -0800 2007 5 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 11 17:11:31 -0800 2007 Tue Dec 11 17:12:23 -0800 2007 5 0 false false Mon Nov 03 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 03 08:54:16 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 03 08:55:22 -0800 2008 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 15 01:02:33 -0800 2008 Tue Jan 15 01:02:57 -0800 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=755862