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The Word Detective: Solving the Mysteries Behind Those Pesky Words and Phrases
The "Word Detective" searches out clues to the origin of interesting words and phrases, such as Big Apple, moxie, yahoo, gormless, feed a cold, and many others, in a collection of articles from the syndicated "Word Detective" column. Reprint.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 29, 2020
Mildly interesting, but also larded with asinine humour. This book best illustrates how newspaper columns may not be hefty enough to make a book. A pleasant diversion in a newspaper can become tedious in a book.
Hesitated to list this as a reference book—but there is much of value concerning the history of words. There is no index.
Two sad little stars.
Hesitated to list this as a reference book—but there is much of value concerning the history of words. There is no index.
Two sad little stars.
July 6, 2016
Well, I did enjoy this, quite a bit. But I've happened to be reading other books on etymology these days, and I find blogs etc. online, so this seems redundant. The other sources have dug deeper, too, and have revealed errors in Morris's conclusions. Well, and also a lot of the entries are just presentations of theories and, sometimes, his reasoning behind choosing a preference among them. I mean, "nobody knows" is an answer, but it's not worth a whole entry in a book, imo.
The wit is clever, but occasionally it gets in the way of understanding the lesson. The line drawings ('spot illustrations') by Carl Wiens are quite wonderful. The overall book is short, small, and easy to read. If this is, for you, the book easiest to get from your library, and you want to do some light reading on the subject, choose this. Otherwise, try to find something better.
I did appreciate that Carroll invented 'chortle' for Jabberwocky.
And that the Old English word for 'weaver' is 'webster.'
And that Fowler says that "Welsh rabbit is amusing and right, and Welsh rarebit stupid and wrong."
The wit is clever, but occasionally it gets in the way of understanding the lesson. The line drawings ('spot illustrations') by Carl Wiens are quite wonderful. The overall book is short, small, and easy to read. If this is, for you, the book easiest to get from your library, and you want to do some light reading on the subject, choose this. Otherwise, try to find something better.
I did appreciate that Carroll invented 'chortle' for Jabberwocky.
And that the Old English word for 'weaver' is 'webster.'
And that Fowler says that "Welsh rabbit is amusing and right, and Welsh rarebit stupid and wrong."
March 10, 2014
The dust jacket describes this work as “a collection of Morris’s language columns, which appear in newspapers around the world and on his popular Web site. The Q&A format makes for lively and unusual interactions between Morris and his readers. …This little book is chock-full of fascinating lore about the origins and uses of the English language…”
What can I say that isn’t already covered by the dust jacket? It’s more than just a collection, it’s a handy reference tool, covering everything from soup to nuts – well, maybe not everything, but quite a lot, beginning with amok and ending with zarf.
I used to love to read encyclopedias and dictionaries. I’d open a volume to a random page and just start reading. I found it enlightening and relaxing – a great break from (or way to avoid) studying whatever I was supposed to be studying. And what teacher/librarian/parent would scold me for looking something up in the dictionary? Those of us who love language and words will find plenty to delight, intrigue and tickle our fancies (whatever THAT phrase means – it’s not covered in this volume). Still, a little goes a long way, and reading it cover to cover as I did for a challenge meant that I grew bored.
What can I say that isn’t already covered by the dust jacket? It’s more than just a collection, it’s a handy reference tool, covering everything from soup to nuts – well, maybe not everything, but quite a lot, beginning with amok and ending with zarf.
I used to love to read encyclopedias and dictionaries. I’d open a volume to a random page and just start reading. I found it enlightening and relaxing – a great break from (or way to avoid) studying whatever I was supposed to be studying. And what teacher/librarian/parent would scold me for looking something up in the dictionary? Those of us who love language and words will find plenty to delight, intrigue and tickle our fancies (whatever THAT phrase means – it’s not covered in this volume). Still, a little goes a long way, and reading it cover to cover as I did for a challenge meant that I grew bored.
October 23, 2017
I enjoyed the information in this book, and even learned a few new words and phrases. But, I was not impressed with the authors humor at all. It was the kind of base level old white guy humor, the kind that complains other people are too "politically correct". Meh.
April 1, 2008
Useless information, can't get enough of it. I pick this up in between books and it is always entertaining. Factoid is not a mini-fact it is a rumor being presented as a fact.
July 31, 2011
Great book for those who like word origins (as I obviously do). The author thought himself quite funny and clever, which could be grating at times. Loved the format and the information, though.
August 7, 2024
This book is very useful for its intended purpose. There are lots of interesting facts about the origins of words and phrases, as well as words that I didn’t know before reading this book. The author also had the good will to tell the reader when he doesn’t know the origin of a word. Shame about the style.
The author was a columnist, and therefore writes his word origins and definitions in a repetitive style. First, there is a funny first paragraph where he makes jokes and sometimes gives a false story about the origin of a word. Most of those made me roll my eyes. And then he explains where the word comes from, or explains various theories where a word might come from, or admits he doesn’t know.
The writing style might work for a column in the newspaper or on the Internet, but it is boring and very repetitive in print. However, it is a little interesting. I would have preferred the sections in chronological rather than alphabetical order, just to see how the author’s style evolved. Even if it is unfunny and condescending at times. Too much “complaining about things in the nineties” humor.
Thankfully, I did learn a lot about words, so this book wasn’t completely useless. Though it is the type of book that I read in a week, all the knowledge slips out of my brain, and I have to reread. Except I don’t really want to reread this book, so all of my new knowledge of words might be forgotten. Oh well.
The author was a columnist, and therefore writes his word origins and definitions in a repetitive style. First, there is a funny first paragraph where he makes jokes and sometimes gives a false story about the origin of a word. Most of those made me roll my eyes. And then he explains where the word comes from, or explains various theories where a word might come from, or admits he doesn’t know.
The writing style might work for a column in the newspaper or on the Internet, but it is boring and very repetitive in print. However, it is a little interesting. I would have preferred the sections in chronological rather than alphabetical order, just to see how the author’s style evolved. Even if it is unfunny and condescending at times. Too much “complaining about things in the nineties” humor.
Thankfully, I did learn a lot about words, so this book wasn’t completely useless. Though it is the type of book that I read in a week, all the knowledge slips out of my brain, and I have to reread. Except I don’t really want to reread this book, so all of my new knowledge of words might be forgotten. Oh well.
February 1, 2021
I usually like books on words and language. This time his style gets to be a bit much. All too often trying to be funny becomes trying too hard to be funny. Especially when the opening paragraph of each and every essay falls in that category. For a few, okay. Over and over, not so much. Perhaps a little more editing would have gotten rid of that quirk of the original columns.
I knew most of the words and phrases and some of the etymologies. One completely new to me was "sandboy, happy as a" which is a "distinctly British (and by extension, Australian) proverbial phrase," which accounts for it. I've read a lot of British mysteries, though and that phrase has never cropped up that I'm aware of. Maybe it's dated as well as foreign (to me).
In addition to the columns on individual words, he interjects a few double pages of groups like: War of words, words of war; words from Yiddish; phrases with cats in them; eponyms (words based on a name); diner slang; phrases with dogs in them; food-based idioms; echoic words that sound like what they mean; words whose origins came from the sea; and the ever-popular collection of words having to do with drinking.
If you read this book, I recommend reading only a few at a time to get over that annoying quirk I mentioned.
I knew most of the words and phrases and some of the etymologies. One completely new to me was "sandboy, happy as a" which is a "distinctly British (and by extension, Australian) proverbial phrase," which accounts for it. I've read a lot of British mysteries, though and that phrase has never cropped up that I'm aware of. Maybe it's dated as well as foreign (to me).
In addition to the columns on individual words, he interjects a few double pages of groups like: War of words, words of war; words from Yiddish; phrases with cats in them; eponyms (words based on a name); diner slang; phrases with dogs in them; food-based idioms; echoic words that sound like what they mean; words whose origins came from the sea; and the ever-popular collection of words having to do with drinking.
If you read this book, I recommend reading only a few at a time to get over that annoying quirk I mentioned.
February 15, 2021
A book on etymologies? Yes Please.
A collection of articles from a column Evan Morris wrote, he answers reader's questions on where words come from. He does so with a great sense of humor and shattered a few myths along the way; because sometimes the etymology is lost to hungry maw of history.
For instance, I'd always heard that "the whole nine yards" comes from a pilot in WWII shooting his entire belt of machine gun bullets. It was reputed to be nine yards long. But there's no evidence to support this, or any other, origin.
But sometimes, the word's beginnings can be traced and in doing so makes me wonder what we're thinking to use the word. To wit: lukewarm. The luke part comes from the Middle English word Lew; which means warm. That's right lukewarm means, literally, warmwarm.
If you're a fan of words, you'll love this book. If you didn't know words had fans, well then, this might not be your jam.
A collection of articles from a column Evan Morris wrote, he answers reader's questions on where words come from. He does so with a great sense of humor and shattered a few myths along the way; because sometimes the etymology is lost to hungry maw of history.
For instance, I'd always heard that "the whole nine yards" comes from a pilot in WWII shooting his entire belt of machine gun bullets. It was reputed to be nine yards long. But there's no evidence to support this, or any other, origin.
But sometimes, the word's beginnings can be traced and in doing so makes me wonder what we're thinking to use the word. To wit: lukewarm. The luke part comes from the Middle English word Lew; which means warm. That's right lukewarm means, literally, warmwarm.
If you're a fan of words, you'll love this book. If you didn't know words had fans, well then, this might not be your jam.
August 7, 2020
This little volume deserves a place on the shelf next to Eats, Shoots, and Leaves (that wonderfully funny book about punctuation)! I understand that humor about word and phrase origins may have a limited audience as well, but I love this little book! I am old enough to remember that there was a newspaper column called Words, Wit and Wisdom (yes, that's the correct punctuation) when I was a child. It was started by this author's parents and continued by him, eventually making the journey to the internet and changing its name to The Word Detective. This book is, I suppose, highlights from those columns and a thoroughly entertaining read, if you are of that bent. Few are, as I got this book from a library discard pile.....
July 11, 2017
For anyone interested in word origins or the source of sayings, look no further than this little book. Although it is clearly tilted towards Americanisms, there are a smattering of examples from other countries.
A couple of random examples
Church key
Gotham
Posh
In many cases, the author examines popular theories as to the word origin along with the "correct" answer.
He peppers many of his examples with humor, and even in some cases he says "we do not know"
A couple of random examples
Church key
Gotham
Posh
In many cases, the author examines popular theories as to the word origin along with the "correct" answer.
He peppers many of his examples with humor, and even in some cases he says "we do not know"
December 25, 2018
Well, it surely did inspire me to write more with a new vocab list. Also, I now want to start a column because of it. just not sure how to do it. haha.
February 13, 2019
A really fun book if you love phrase and word origins.
January 9, 2016
This book was just plain fun to read. This is a collection of short newspaper comics in which the author has answered write-in questions about the derivation and history of various words and phrases. The answers themselves are short and often tongue-in-cheek, but generally have excellent information. (It was fun, reading this on the heels of a similar book, Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language, and seeing where the two books overlapped, and occasionally disagreed).
Favorite quotes:
"The problem my parents faced was not in getting [the author and his siblings] to read, but in getting us to stop. 'No reading at the dinner table,' was a frequent admonition, which we quietly subverted by memorizing the ingredients list of every condiment on the table." - Introduction, p xi
Oh, that takes me back. My mother and I had the exact same fight...
On the subject of the word "gormless:"
"Well, yes, most people do have a sizable pile of gorm, and we use it every day. Did you not get yours? Perhaps you have simply mislaid your gorm. Check in the back of your closets." p 86
About "happy as a clam:"
"I agree that there is no credible evidence to suggest that clams are, as a rule, happy. In fact, what little scientific research has been done so far in Seafood Studies tends to indicate that clams live out their lives in an advanced state of existential dread..." p 98
On sincerity:
"Among my friends I just happen to be known as Mr. Sincerity, a title I've painstakingly cultivated over the years by the simple expedient of disagreeing with anything anybody says. It's amazing how many people assume that you're being brutally honest when you're really only being persistently obnoxious." p 186
Favorite quotes:
"The problem my parents faced was not in getting [the author and his siblings] to read, but in getting us to stop. 'No reading at the dinner table,' was a frequent admonition, which we quietly subverted by memorizing the ingredients list of every condiment on the table." - Introduction, p xi
Oh, that takes me back. My mother and I had the exact same fight...
On the subject of the word "gormless:"
"Well, yes, most people do have a sizable pile of gorm, and we use it every day. Did you not get yours? Perhaps you have simply mislaid your gorm. Check in the back of your closets." p 86
About "happy as a clam:"
"I agree that there is no credible evidence to suggest that clams are, as a rule, happy. In fact, what little scientific research has been done so far in Seafood Studies tends to indicate that clams live out their lives in an advanced state of existential dread..." p 98
On sincerity:
"Among my friends I just happen to be known as Mr. Sincerity, a title I've painstakingly cultivated over the years by the simple expedient of disagreeing with anything anybody says. It's amazing how many people assume that you're being brutally honest when you're really only being persistently obnoxious." p 186
June 24, 2012
A collection of short essays examining the origins of many English words and phrases, all taken from the Word Detective newspaper column. Why do we say "scuttlebutt"? Is it "Welsh rabbit" or "Welsh rarebit"? Each essay starts with him poking some light fun at the questioner, sharing a humorous story from his life, etc.
Read the book slowly, or it gets a little irritating. The answers were fascinating, and I learned a lot about English (no mean feat - I was the type of kid who read etymological dictionaries, no joke). But for me in particular, the humor was corny enough that it made me cringe a little. That being said, my friend picked it up after he asked a question about a phrase and I was able to find it in the book. He was laughing so hard, quoting sections to me every couple minutes. I realized that I just needed to take the humor in doses, and it was a lot better. So, definitely recommended for the curious!
Read the book slowly, or it gets a little irritating. The answers were fascinating, and I learned a lot about English (no mean feat - I was the type of kid who read etymological dictionaries, no joke). But for me in particular, the humor was corny enough that it made me cringe a little. That being said, my friend picked it up after he asked a question about a phrase and I was able to find it in the book. He was laughing so hard, quoting sections to me every couple minutes. I realized that I just needed to take the humor in doses, and it was a lot better. So, definitely recommended for the curious!
September 12, 2016
I read it cover-to-cover and really liked it. It was funnier than most similar books I'd read, and seemed to be better-researched. The only thing I would have changed is that adding an index would have been nice, but I guess since it doesn't cover more than maybe 50 or 60 words/expressions, that's not a big deal.
May 28, 2008
An enjoyable trifle that is perfect for reading in small bites (e.g., at bedtime).
June 23, 2010
A fun little book to pick up and read in bits and pieces. History, language and snarky commentary, all in one place!
September 3, 2011
As noted an irreverent look for the meaning of words. Very enjoyable and easy to read. If you like to know the origins of phrases--this is for you.
January 17, 2016
Cute and informative, but really better suited to individual columns (as in the original) than as a book.
Want to Read
December 28, 2016I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14339251
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/14339251
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