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Strange to Say: Etymology as Serious Entertainment
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eBay item number:386895560564
Item specifics
- Condition
- Release Year
- 2021
- Book Title
- Strange to Say: Etymology as Serious Entertainment
- ISBN
- 9781589881570
- Subject Area
- Language Arts & Disciplines
- Publication Name
- Strange to Say : Etymology As Serious Entertainment
- Publisher
- Dry Books, Incorporated, Paul
- Item Length
- 8.5 in
- Subject
- Linguistics / Etymology
- Publication Year
- 2021
- Type
- Textbook
- Format
- Trade Paperback
- Language
- English
- Item Height
- 0.6 in
- Item Weight
- 7.8 Oz
- Item Width
- 5.5 in
- Number of Pages
- 194 Pages
About this product
Product Information
"A great read for those who appreciate seeing the whimsy in words, as Warren remarkably achieves etymological entertainment." Booklist "You can't stop language, because when all's said and done is never." In her witty account of the origins of many English words and expressions, Deborah Warren educates as she entertainsand entertain she does, leading her readers through the amazing labyrinthian history of related words. "Language," she writes, "is all about mutation." Read here about the first meanings of common words and phrases, including dessert, vodka, lunatic, tulip, dollar, bikini, peeping tom, peter out, and devil's advocate. A former Latin teacher, Warren is a gifted poet and a writer of great playfulness. Strange to Say is a cornucopia of joyful learning and laughter. Did you know... Lord Cardigan was a British aristocrat and military man known for the sweater jackets he sported. A lying lawyer might pull the wool over a judge's eyes --yank his wig down across his face. In the original tale of Cinderella, her slippers were made of vair ("fur")--which in the orally-told story mistakenly turned into the homonym verre ("glass"). Like laundry, lavender evolved from Italian lavanderia , "things to be washed." The plant was used as a clothes freshener. It smells better than, say, the misspelled Downy Unstopable with the ad that touts its "feisty freshness," unaware that feisty evolved from Middle English fisten --fart.
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Dry Books, Incorporated, Paul
ISBN-10
1589881575
ISBN-13
9781589881570
eBay Product ID (ePID)
7050393306
Product Key Features
Number of Pages
194 Pages
Language
English
Publication Name
Strange to Say : Etymology As Serious Entertainment
Publication Year
2021
Subject
Linguistics / Etymology
Type
Textbook
Subject Area
Language Arts & Disciplines
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
0.6 in
Item Weight
7.8 Oz
Item Length
8.5 in
Item Width
5.5 in
Additional Product Features
Reviews
"Warren, a poet and teacher of English and Latin, draws on her vast knowledge of the English language to transport readers into the inner-workings of the mind of a philologist: someone who studies the origins of words and how they are used in written works. This fast-paced nonfiction book will be enjoyed by those who find humor and excitement in exploring languages . . . a great read for those who appreciate seeing the whimsy in words, as Warren remarkably achieves etymological entertainment." Booklist "[Warren] brings a poet's ear and eye to Strange to Say , finding joy in the words as much as in their pedigrees. There is an artistry present in Strange to Say that I have rarely encountered in word books . . . It is a strong piece of work on etymologies--a brilliant, holistic approach by a most gifted amateur." Los Angeles Review of Books "The author, a poet, is a sure and, indeed, entertaining guide to the evolution of words and meaning." Harvard Magazine PRAISE FOR DEBORAH WARREN'S OTHER BOOKS: "Warren goes anywhere, inhabits anything: it is fun to see a poet so willing to embrace metamorphosis . . . A great book." The Millions on Connoisseurs of Worms "Immensely engaging . . . Steeped in references to Greek and Roman history and literature, this book sings with an erudite yet accessible energy one might expect from a former Latin teacher. After finishing this collection, readers will definitely want to dive into the rest of Warren's oeuvre." Booklist on Connoisseurs of Worms "Not since Richard Wilbur has a poet combined formal grace, visual imagination, and worldly wisdom as appealingly as Deborah Warren. Whether she is writing about the largest subjects--history, love, the soul--or the smallest--housecats, Latin lessons, Cleopatra's nose--Warren, like the craftsman she writes about in 'The Glassblower," shows that she is a master of the 'possibility and prism' of her art."-- Adam Kirsch on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Deborah Warren's poised and meticulous poems deliver pure potential in small packages: an egg, a kitten, a bluebird. Each burnished object or creature contains a principle of growth; hence, even Warren's tiniest lyrics move us from one state of being to another . . . Warren is also a mistress of finely observed images from nature, art, and history. Finally, the voice that coveys these varied poetic riches--a voice by turns deadpan, fretful, rueful, playful--is unfailingly understated. Each poem thereby retains its integrity, freshness, and mystery."-- Rachel Hadas on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Ms. Warren's poems combine imagination with intelligence, music with emotional energy. The language sparkles in poem after poem." Dana Gioia on Zero Meridian "Warren is among the very finest American poets who still observe the strictures of meter and rhyme. She informs her work with lively feeling, wit, wisdom, and memorable music; she keeps us sitting up and interested." X. J. Kennedy on Zero Meridian, PRAISE FOR DEBORAH WARREN'S OTHER BOOKS: "Warren goes anywhere, inhabits anything: it is fun to see a poet so willing to embrace metamorphosis . . . A great book." The Millions on Connoisseurs of Worms "Immensely engaging . . . Steeped in references to Greek and Roman history and literature, this book sings with an erudite yet accessible energy one might expect from a former Latin teacher. After finishing this collection, readers will definitely want to dive into the rest of Warren's oeuvre." Booklist on Connoisseurs of Worms "Not since Richard Wilbur has a poet combined formal grace, visual imagination, and worldly wisdom as appealingly as Deborah Warren. Whether she is writing about the largest subjects--history, love, the soul--or the smallest--housecats, Latin lessons, Cleopatra's nose--Warren, like the craftsman she writes about in 'The Glassblower," shows that she is a master of the 'possibility and prism' of her art."-- Adam Kirsch on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Deborah Warren's poised and meticulous poems deliver pure potential in small packages: an egg, a kitten, a bluebird. Each burnished object or creature contains a principle of growth; hence, even Warren's tiniest lyrics move us from one state of being to another . . . Warren is also a mistress of finely observed images from nature, art, and history. Finally, the voice that coveys these varied poetic riches--a voice by turns deadpan, fretful, rueful, playful--is unfailingly understated. Each poem thereby retains its integrity, freshness, and mystery."-- Rachel Hadas on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Ms. Warren's poems combine imagination with intelligence, music with emotional energy. The language sparkles in poem after poem." Dana Gioia on Zero Meridian "Warren is among the very finest American poets who still observe the strictures of meter and rhyme. She informs her work with lively feeling, wit, wisdom, and memorable music; she keeps us sitting up and interested." X. J. Kennedy on Zero Meridian, "Warren, a poet and teacher of English and Latin, draws on her vast knowledge of the English language to transport readers into the inner-workings of the mind of a philologist: someone who studies the origins of words and how they are used in written works. This fast-paced nonfiction book will be enjoyed by those who find humor and excitement in exploring languages . . . a great read for those who appreciate seeing the whimsy in words, as Warren remarkably achieves etymological entertainment." Booklist PRAISE FOR DEBORAH WARREN'S OTHER BOOKS: "Warren goes anywhere, inhabits anything: it is fun to see a poet so willing to embrace metamorphosis . . . A great book." The Millions on Connoisseurs of Worms "Immensely engaging . . . Steeped in references to Greek and Roman history and literature, this book sings with an erudite yet accessible energy one might expect from a former Latin teacher. After finishing this collection, readers will definitely want to dive into the rest of Warren's oeuvre." Booklist on Connoisseurs of Worms "Not since Richard Wilbur has a poet combined formal grace, visual imagination, and worldly wisdom as appealingly as Deborah Warren. Whether she is writing about the largest subjects--history, love, the soul--or the smallest--housecats, Latin lessons, Cleopatra's nose--Warren, like the craftsman she writes about in 'The Glassblower," shows that she is a master of the 'possibility and prism' of her art."-- Adam Kirsch on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Deborah Warren's poised and meticulous poems deliver pure potential in small packages: an egg, a kitten, a bluebird. Each burnished object or creature contains a principle of growth; hence, even Warren's tiniest lyrics move us from one state of being to another . . . Warren is also a mistress of finely observed images from nature, art, and history. Finally, the voice that coveys these varied poetic riches--a voice by turns deadpan, fretful, rueful, playful--is unfailingly understated. Each poem thereby retains its integrity, freshness, and mystery."-- Rachel Hadas on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Ms. Warren's poems combine imagination with intelligence, music with emotional energy. The language sparkles in poem after poem." Dana Gioia on Zero Meridian "Warren is among the very finest American poets who still observe the strictures of meter and rhyme. She informs her work with lively feeling, wit, wisdom, and memorable music; she keeps us sitting up and interested." X. J. Kennedy on Zero Meridian, "[Warren's] curiosity and embrace of the unpredictable, as well as her delight in both the archaic and the homespun, animate Strange to Say , a tour of English that savors the language's mutability." Wall Street Journal "Warren, a poet and teacher of English and Latin, draws on her vast knowledge of the English language to transport readers into the inner-workings of the mind of a philologist: someone who studies the origins of words and how they are used in written works. This fast-paced nonfiction book will be enjoyed by those who find humor and excitement in exploring languages . . . a great read for those who appreciate seeing the whimsy in words, as Warren remarkably achieves etymological entertainment." Booklist "[Warren] brings a poet's ear and eye to Strange to Say , finding joy in the words as much as in their pedigrees. There is an artistry present in Strange to Say that I have rarely encountered in word books . . . It is a strong piece of work on etymologies--a brilliant, holistic approach by a most gifted amateur." Los Angeles Review of Books "The author, a poet, is a sure and, indeed, entertaining guide to the evolution of words and meaning." Harvard Magazine PRAISE FOR DEBORAH WARREN'S OTHER BOOKS: "Warren goes anywhere, inhabits anything: it is fun to see a poet so willing to embrace metamorphosis . . . A great book." The Millions on Connoisseurs of Worms "Immensely engaging . . . Steeped in references to Greek and Roman history and literature, this book sings with an erudite yet accessible energy one might expect from a former Latin teacher. After finishing this collection, readers will definitely want to dive into the rest of Warren's oeuvre." Booklist on Connoisseurs of Worms "Not since Richard Wilbur has a poet combined formal grace, visual imagination, and worldly wisdom as appealingly as Deborah Warren. Whether she is writing about the largest subjects--history, love, the soul--or the smallest--housecats, Latin lessons, Cleopatra's nose--Warren, like the craftsman she writes about in 'The Glassblower," shows that she is a master of the 'possibility and prism' of her art."-- Adam Kirsch on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Deborah Warren's poised and meticulous poems deliver pure potential in small packages: an egg, a kitten, a bluebird. Each burnished object or creature contains a principle of growth; hence, even Warren's tiniest lyrics move us from one state of being to another . . . Warren is also a mistress of finely observed images from nature, art, and history. Finally, the voice that coveys these varied poetic riches--a voice by turns deadpan, fretful, rueful, playful--is unfailingly understated. Each poem thereby retains its integrity, freshness, and mystery."-- Rachel Hadas on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Ms. Warren's poems combine imagination with intelligence, music with emotional energy. The language sparkles in poem after poem." Dana Gioia on Zero Meridian "Warren is among the very finest American poets who still observe the strictures of meter and rhyme. She informs her work with lively feeling, wit, wisdom, and memorable music; she keeps us sitting up and interested." X. J. Kennedy on Zero Meridian, "Warren, a poet and teacher of English and Latin, draws on her vast knowledge of the English language to transport readers into the inner-workings of the mind of a philologist: someone who studies the origins of words and how they are used in written works. This fast-paced nonfiction book will be enjoyed by those who find humor and excitement in exploring languages . . . a great read for those who appreciate seeing the whimsy in words, as Warren remarkably achieves etymological entertainment." Booklist "The author, a poet, is a sure and, indeed, entertaining guide to the evolution of words and meaning." Harvard Magazine PRAISE FOR DEBORAH WARREN'S OTHER BOOKS: "Warren goes anywhere, inhabits anything: it is fun to see a poet so willing to embrace metamorphosis . . . A great book." The Millions on Connoisseurs of Worms "Immensely engaging . . . Steeped in references to Greek and Roman history and literature, this book sings with an erudite yet accessible energy one might expect from a former Latin teacher. After finishing this collection, readers will definitely want to dive into the rest of Warren's oeuvre." Booklist on Connoisseurs of Worms "Not since Richard Wilbur has a poet combined formal grace, visual imagination, and worldly wisdom as appealingly as Deborah Warren. Whether she is writing about the largest subjects--history, love, the soul--or the smallest--housecats, Latin lessons, Cleopatra's nose--Warren, like the craftsman she writes about in 'The Glassblower," shows that she is a master of the 'possibility and prism' of her art."-- Adam Kirsch on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Deborah Warren's poised and meticulous poems deliver pure potential in small packages: an egg, a kitten, a bluebird. Each burnished object or creature contains a principle of growth; hence, even Warren's tiniest lyrics move us from one state of being to another . . . Warren is also a mistress of finely observed images from nature, art, and history. Finally, the voice that coveys these varied poetic riches--a voice by turns deadpan, fretful, rueful, playful--is unfailingly understated. Each poem thereby retains its integrity, freshness, and mystery."-- Rachel Hadas on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Ms. Warren's poems combine imagination with intelligence, music with emotional energy. The language sparkles in poem after poem." Dana Gioia on Zero Meridian "Warren is among the very finest American poets who still observe the strictures of meter and rhyme. She informs her work with lively feeling, wit, wisdom, and memorable music; she keeps us sitting up and interested." X. J. Kennedy on Zero Meridian, PRAISE FOR DEBORAH WARREN: "Not since Richard Wilbur has a poet combined formal grace, visual imagination, and worldly wisdom as appealingly as Deborah Warren. Whether she is writing about the largest subjects--history, love, the soul--or the smallest--housecats, Latin lessons, Cleopatra's nose--Warren, like the craftsman she writes about in 'The Glassblower," shows that she is a master of the 'possibility and prism' of her art."-- Adam Kirsch on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Deborah Warren's poised and meticulous poems deliver pure potential in small packages: an egg, a kitten, a bluebird. Each burnished object or creature contains a principle of growth; hence, even Warren's tiniest lyrics move us from one state of being to another . . . Warren is also a mistress of finely observed images from nature, art, and history. Finally, the voice that coveys these varied poetic riches--a voice by turns deadpan, fretful, rueful, playful--is unfailingly understated. Each poem thereby retains its integrity, freshness, and mystery."-- Rachel Hadas on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "What a strange, profound, and beautiful book this is, with its insistence on pursuing precisely that whose nature it is to elude pursuit! The widening range of Warren's restless attention encompasses aesthetics, the arts, nature, the difficulties of perception, and the complicated psychic dynamics of aging; and she tackles all of it in language that bristles with intellect and passion, discipline and a yearning to break free. How irresistible I find her invitation to join in her pursuit, in poem after poem in this dazzling collection."-- Rhina P. Espaillat on Dream with Flowers and Bowl of Fruit "Ms. Warren's poems combine imagination with intelligence, music with emotional energy. The language sparkles in poem after poem." Dana Gioia on Zero Meridian "Warren is among the very finest American poets who still observe the strictures of meter and rhyme. She informs her work with lively feeling, wit, wisdom, and memorable music; she keeps us sitting up and interested." X. J. Kennedy. on Zero Meridian
Target Audience
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Table of Content
CONTENTS: Coming to Terms: An Invitation I. In a Word: Evolution II. Double-Speak: Anglo-Latin III. From the Word Go: Word Gets Around IV. Putting Words in My Mouth: Eat Your Words V. Speaking Ill Of: Diseases Are All About Shape VI. Say it With Flowers VII. Too Funny for Words: Laughter VIII. Bespoke: Clothes and Cloth IX. Speak of the Devil X. Speak No Evil: Religion XI. Baby Talk: Children XII. The Last Word: Death XIII. Cat Got Your Tongue? XIV. Tongues Wag: Canines XV. The Horse's Mouth XVI. Walk the Talk: Wandering XVII. What's the Magic Word?: Fortune-telling XVIII. On a First-Name Basis: To Name Names XIX. Talking Six to the Dozen XX. Prison Terms XXI. Pay the Piper, Call the Tune. XXII. Speaking of Which: Pronouns XXIII. Buzz Words: Liquor XXIV. In Name Only: Family Names XXV. Talk Of The Town: Place Names XXVI. Play on Words: Sports XXVII. Talk of Many Things: Cabbages and Kings: Pedigree and Politics XXVIII. In Glowing Terms: Colors XXIX. Say When: Telling Time XXX. Body Language: From Hand to Mouth XXXI. Strange to Say XXXII. Getting a Word in Edgewise: Portmanteaux XXXIII. Even As We Speak: Today
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