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The Phrase Finder has the meanings and origins of over 1,200 English sayings, phrases, and idioms. Whether you want to resolve a friendly argument over how a saying or phrase originated or whether you just enjoy words, you'll probably find something here to interest you. An active reader forum has more than 50,000 postings about sayings and phrases. Fun stuff! From This is True for 12 August 2007 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Wilfred Funk List Price: $11.99 Amazon Price: $11.99 Editorial Review: From a highly respected name in reference literature, an easy-to-access, dependable sourcebook on the origin and development of thousands of words, each word has been thoroughly checked by ranking linguists and the information is presented in a manner as entertaining as fiction, An Outlet bestseller in previous editions. 432 pages. 6 X 9.  By: Anu Garg List Price: $13.00 Amazon Price: $4.99  By: Christine Kenneally List Price: $16.00 Amazon Price: $10.88 Editorial Review: An accessible exploration of a burgeoning new field: the incredible evolution of language The first popular book to recount the exciting, very recent developments in tracing the origins of language, The First Word is at the forefront of a controversial, compelling new field. Acclaimed science writer Christine Kenneally explains how a relatively small group of scientists that include Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker assembled the astounding narrative of how the fundamental process of evolution produced a linguistic ape—in other words, us. Infused with the wonder of discovery, this vital and engrossing book offers us all a better understanding of the story of humankind.  By: Karlen Evins List Price: $11.00 Amazon Price: $8.80 Editorial Review: Every common expression has a history, and it's often not what one would expect. I Didn't Know That offers a lighthearted yet enlightening look at the unusual origins of hundreds of words and sayings that pepper our language. From "ants in the pants" (a questionable old English home remedy) to the "whole nine yards" (which has nothing to do with lengths of fabric), here are the surprising and often amusing stories behind the phrases we use every day. Karlen Evins fills in the background of these words and phrases and many more in fun, fascinating stories. If you've ever caught yourself wondering just how we came to say such curious things as "dressed to the nines" and "nincompoop," this clever little book will have you smiling and saying, "I Didn't Know That!" Vocabulary Energizers: Stories of Word Origins By: David Popkin List Price: $12.95 Amazon Price: $11.65 |
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