Oversized Hardcover (4 to 6 lbs)

Oregon

Illustrated Reverse Dictionary

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

New York

contains a boatload of things you didnt know about the English language

Word Nerd

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Arizona

A Word Lover's Guide to the Weirdest, Wackiest, and Wonkiest Lexical Gems

KEYNOTE: A trip through teeming troves of glossographic goodies How many people know how to pronounce humhumunukunukuapuaa*? How many even know what it is? Bill Casselman does. Dictionary in hand, he'll lead you along the highways and byways of English--the world's wackiest, most widespread language. And those who follow will find their vocabularies replete with sesquipedalian vocables and chock-a-block with euphuistic lexemes of logorrheic. From dobdob to dikdik to the outer reaches of ning-nong and prick-me-dainty, in wide-ranging essays explaining hundreds of words and expressions, both common and obscure, Casselman revels in the strange, the surreal, and the mind-bogglingly weird. You are invited to rootle in odd words and to explore amusing anecdotes about familiar phrases (Who knows the origin of the sports phrase "hat trick"?) You'll laugh along with Casselman as he celebrates the wonders, the complexities, and the absurdities of our amazing language. (*Incidentally, humhumunukunukuapuaa is a Hawaiian term that means "little trigger fish with a small nose like a pig.") AUTHOR: Bill Casselman is a leading etymologist who has published ten books on the origins of words and sayings, three of them bestsellers. He is also the author of a medical dictionary and numerous magazine and newspaper columns and articles. He is a columnist at Vocabula, the leading American online word magazine. SELLING POINTS * This is the only humorous exploration of the strangeness of the English language written by a bestselling linguist *People love to explore the quarter-million existing English words *

Where a Dobdob Meets a Dikdik

a0114d93-8ff0-4f81-82a0-800d0fb77227-1

Ohio

English and How it got that Way

The Mother Tongue

Clarence Lewis Barnhart

Texas

English

The World Book Dictionary

d33bb613-bc0e-4e6c-af8d-4f7098aadafb-1

Webb B. Garrison

There are two cosmetic spots on front and back cover of where it got bent slightly. Everything else is crisp and clean!

Utah

The Fascinating Stories Behind over 600 Everyday Words and Phrases

The Fascinating stories behind over 600 everyday words and phrases such as... Shindig - A veteran square dance caller will tell you that bruised shins result from the swigging feet of beginning dancers. A dance that leaves telltale marks on the lower legs of participants is a "shindig."

Alibi - The word is taken straight from Latin and means "elsewhere." The perfect "alibi" is to prove one was "elsewhere" when the deed was done.

And many more...

Why You Say It

8975246e-ce91-49d5-afc9-57169268b57c-1

#paperback #etymology #wordorigins #reference #wordmeaning #words #dictionary 

Heavy Paperback (2 to 4 lbs)

Arcade Dictionary of Word Origins

#hardcover #language #etymology #sociology #nonfiction #socialscience #history #words


Maine

English in the Gutter: Then, Now, and Forever

Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech - the urgency with which we say 'f..k!' is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger. Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle: historical, sociological, political, linguistic. In a particularly coarse moment, when the public discourse is shaped in part by once-shocking words, nothing could be timelier.

Nine Nasty Words

0c16c4a7-67e5-4a92-a07b-a65b55aa89de-1

Yee-Lum Mak

Light Hardcover (1 lb or less)

Words Both Strange and Lovely from Around the World (Book Lover Gifts, Illustrated Untranslatable Word Book)

Discover words to surprise, delight, and enamor. Learn terms for the sunlight that filters through the leaves of trees, for dancing awkwardly but with relish, and for the look shared by two people who each wish the other would speak first. Other-Wordly is an irresistible gift for lovers of words and those lost for words alike.

Other-Wordly

f5e76405-a401-4b91-bee8-1c498238efd2-1

David Feldman

And Other Fearless Investigations into Our Illogical Language

The author presents a thorough and amusing examination of the origin of words with peculiar and oddball histories as he traces the idiosyncrasies of the English language.

Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?

1c9e99d4-8b2e-46e7-8e68-92c732967b55-1

Peter Berresford Ellis

dust jacket ripped and taped on spine (see photo) — rest of book excellent condition

In this compelling and highly reliable study of the Druids, respected Celtic scholar Peter Berresford Ellis sifts through the historical evidence and, with reference to the latest archaeological and etymological findings, gives the first authentic account of who the mysterious Druids were and what role they played in Celtic society. The Druids emerge as the intellectual caste of ancient Celtic society. They were the doctors, the lawyers, the ambassadors, the advisers to kings. They also had a religious function. Ellis describes the special Druidic training, their philosophy, their belief in auguries, and their intriguing origins. He also shows that the current "New Age" image of the Druids as benevolent wizards comes from a woefully inadequate interpretation of the facts.

The Druids

73fd8562-1e13-47f7-91ce-711ff4344eb1-1

#paperback #reading #vocabulary #plays #etymology # language #simulations

Reading & Language Arts

Grades 4-8

This book is about words, especially the words of the complex and wonderful English language. Starting with cave drawings, the book traces the development of language and communication from its early beginnings to the present day. You will find a wide array of exciting and challenging activities that will spark your students' interest and help them to improve their skills in language. As a result of completing these activities students will...Comprehend the evolution of language as a means of communication; Have an expanded understanding of word origins and derivations; Make the connection and appreciate the role of history in the development of the English language; Realize the multi-culturism of American English; Increase the comprehension of vocabulary and definitions; Enhance the creativity of their own use of English; Improve their critical-thinking skills; Become engaged in the further understanding of English; andUse English in more creative and effective oral and written communication.Words! Words! Words! is divided into five parts. Part I introduces the story of written language and highlights its evolution in ancient cultures. Part II teaches students about English of long ago and the contribution of noted writers such as Chaucer and Shakespeare. Part III details the growth of American English. In this section, students experience coining phrases, using jargon, finding roots, and translating British English among other challenging activities. Students will have fun with words in Part IV as they create anagrams, use euphemisms, and ponder perplexing palindromes. In Part V students will participate in an exciting culminating activity in which they will create a planned language, use the language in an original short play, and perform the play for family and friends.

Words, Words, Words

c02bda7b-0da0-4e73-91a2-95bab67e53d2-1

Paperback (1 to 2 lbs)

The ingredients of language

Words and Rules

Albert Jack

Bold as brass, cold feet, cock and bull, off the cuff, red herrings and white elephants. We use these phrases every day and yet have only the vaguest idea of where many of them come from. The origins of hundreds of common phrases are explained in this irreverent journey through the most fascinating and richest regions of the English language. Once you've read one, you'll be diving back in to look up all the others. Red Herrings is full of amazing definitions that take us all over the world, including military traditions and famous people who lent their names to describe familiar situations. From the drop of a hat to the bitter end - you'll never speak English in the same way again.

California

The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day

Mad hatter . . . pie in the sky . . . egg on your face. We use these phrases every day, yet how many of us know what they really mean or where they came from? From bringing home the bacon to leaving no stone unturned, the English language is peppered with hundreds of common idioms borrowed from ancient traditions and civilizations throughout the world. In Red Herrings and White Elephants, Albert Jack has uncovered the amazing and sometimes downright bizarre stories behind many of our most familiar and eccentric modes of expression: If you happen to be a bootlegger, your profession recalls the Wild West outlaws who sold illegal alcohol by concealing slender bottles of whiskey in their boots. If you're on cloud nine, you owe a nod to the American Weather Bureau's classification of clouds, the ninth topping out all others at a mountainous 40,000 feet. If you opt for the hair of the dog the morning after, you're following the advice of medieval English doctors, who recommended rubbing the hair of a dog into the wound left by the animal's bite. A delightful compendium of anecdotes on everything from minding your p's and q's to pulling out all the stops, Red Herrings and White Elephants is an essential handbook for language-lovers of all ages.

Red Herrings and White Elephants

615f9efc-840f-4d35-ad9a-39676d10bfd5-1

#paperback #nonfiction #socialscience #science #language #humor #history #etymology #swearwords #humanbehavior

Illinois

What Swearing Reveals about Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves

It may be starred, beeped, and censored -- yet profanity is so appealing that we can't stop using it. In the funniest, clearest study to date, Benjamin Bergen explains why, and what that tells us about our language and brains.

Nearly everyone swears-whether it's over a few too many drinks, in reaction to a stubbed toe, or in flagrante delicto. And yet, we sit idly by as words are banned from television and censored in books. We insist that people excise profanity from their vocabularies and we punish children for yelling the very same dirty words that we'll mutter in relief seconds after they fall asleep. Swearing, it seems, is an intimate part of us that we have decided to selectively deny.

That's a damn shame. Swearing is useful. It can be funny, cathartic, or emotionally arousing. As linguist and cognitive scientist Benjamin K. Bergen shows us, it also opens a new window onto how our brains process language and why languages vary around the world and over time.

In this groundbreaking yet ebullient romp through the linguistic muck, Bergen answers intriguing questions: How can patients left otherwise speechless after a stroke still shout Goddamn! when they get upset? When did a cock grow to be more than merely a rooster? Why is crap vulgar when poo is just childish? Do slurs make you treat people differently? Why is the first word that Samoan children say not mommy but eat shit? And why do we extend a middle finger to flip someone the bird?

Smart as hell and funny as fuck, What the F is mandatory reading for anyone who wants to know how and why we swear.

What the F

e7a77463-3cc5-49da-95dc-325c289af8cf-1

Pennsylvania

What's Behind the Word?  (2nd Printing, 1964)

Excellent condition apart from writing from previous owner inside front cover (see photo)

*disclaimer: this item comes from a pet-friendly home!

Arkansas

The Origins and Meaning of the Food We Speak

An A to Z presentation of commonly used English language phrases and idioms whose origins have something to do with food, such as its acquisition, storage, preparation or consumption.

Bring Home the Bacon and Cutting the Mustard

e6b18a39-5610-4e83-bde3-b0d9fb6d9c1d-0

Charles E. Funk

Crease on front cover and some discoloration two pages due to age

I

Washington

Stories of Curious Word Origins

Thereby Hangs a Tale

a0b3cc71-d34f-4e15-b2be-472eed1a82b1-1

From Quiche to Humble Pie 

Word Mysteries and Histories 

Maryland

Ideal for students mastering a growing content-area vocabulary in social studies, science, and mathematics multisyllabic Greek- and Latin-based words help students unlock the meanings of literally thousands of words.

Vocabulary from Classical Roots

2999c22a-3ce2-4e16-a4b1-5de1578e0cb1-1

Don Robb

Vermont

The History of Our Alphabet

"Bold collage illustrations and clear prose trace the origins of our familiar letters. From the proto-Sinaitic peoples, through the Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans, this book follows the development of the Roman alphabet. Includes sidebar information on punctuation, writing materials, the technology of printing, and more."

Ox, House, Stick

921370f3-9b3d-463b-aff1-764852d74164-1

David Olsen

Intriguing and fun. Gently pre-owned.

There are over 5,000 Books in my inventory. Follow for more 😃. All books disenfected and sent in water resistant packaging.

1200 Essential Words Every Educated Person Should Be Able to Use and Define

Lots of people need a quick and authoritative way to identify and define the most troublesome common words. The usual approach- stalling for time until you can grasp the context of what the person has just said-has its limits. If only there were a list, not of every word (after all, reading dictionaries is no one's idea of fun) but of the right words, the ones that are used frequently but don't quite register when you come across them. The Words You Should Know features straightforward, succinct definitions and sentence examples of over 1200 tough-but-common words. It's the kind of book that can get you out of a jam, improve your performance at school, and help advance your career. And that's no hyperbole, rigmarole, or embellishment.

The Words You Should Know

f9ae3587-1aa2-435a-a8e1-1cbf80528bc2-1

South Dakota

First printing 
Minor shelf wear, slight lean to spine. Tight binding. Clean text. 

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Reader’s Digest

Illustrated Reverse Dictionary

Michael Powell

Word Nerd

Bill Casselman

Where a Dobdob Meets a Dikdik

Bill Bryson

The Mother Tongue

Clarence Lewis Barnhart

The World Book Dictionary

Webb B. Garrison

Why You Say It

John Ayto

Arcade Dictionary of Word Origins

John McWhorter

Nine Nasty Words

Yee-Lum Mak

Other-Wordly

David Feldman

Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?

Peter Berresford Ellis

The Druids

Charlotte Jaffe; Barbara Doherty

Words, Words, Words

steven pinker

Words and Rules

Albert Jack

Red Herrings and White Elephants

Benjamin K. Bergen

What the F

Sam Epstein; Beryl Epstein; George Wilde

What's Behind the Word? (2nd Printing, 1964)

Complete Editions

Bring Home the Bacon and Cutting the Mustard

Charles E. Funk

Thereby Hangs a Tale

The American Heritage Dictonaries

Word Mysteries and Histories

Norma Fifer/ Nancy Flowers

Vocabulary from Classical Roots

Don Robb

Ox, House, Stick

David Olsen

The Words You Should Know

Yee-Lum Mak

Other-Wordly

Charles Earle Funk

Thereby Hangs a Tale 1972 Warner Paperback Library edition