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c1995., Doubleday Call No: 422 M174a Edition: 1st ed. Availability:1 of 1 At Your Library Summary Note: As surely as every dog has its day, nearly every animal in the kingdom has its way with our language. In Animalogies, bestselling etymological author Michael Macrone works his way through many a genus and species to shed light on how some of the more colorful and kooky animal analogies, metaphors, and fables found their way into our everyday speech. Macrone talks turkey about why clams are happy, crocodiles shed tears, and chickens are chicken - except when they are cocky. He pulls the ostrich's head out of the sand, tests the memory of elephants, and tries to ride the dark horse. And he reveals the origins of such fabulous beasts as teh bugbear, the dingbat, and Welsh rabbit. More than just a book of phrases, Animalogies is a wealth of information about the curious lives and habits of animals.
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2006., University of Chicago Press Call No: 910.014 M747f Availability:1 of 1 At Your LibraryClick here to watch
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2013., Adult, Ronsdale Press Call No: QWF 422 R498h Availability:1 of 1 At Your Library Summary Note: "Whats the difference between a good girl and a nice girl? Answer: The good girl goes to a party, goes home, then goes to bed, whereas the nice girl goes to the party, goes to bed, then goes home. While we think of nice nowadays as being a synonym for pleasant it was not always so; originally the words meaning conveyed the naughtiness implied in the joke. It was not until the middle of the 18th century that nice conveyed the sense of pleasantness that we now associate with the word. In this book Richler educates and entertains us while explaining how words such as nice and gay have changed meanings. Surprisingly, we discover that even many of our nouns and verbs have been in a constant state of flux. This morphing of meanings is ever-present, and Richler explains how, even in the last few years, words have been quietly reversing their meanings. So whether you are gay (happy), gay homosexual) or a melancholy heterosexual, Richler will lead you into a word world of entertaining change"--Provided by publisher.
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2021., Adult, Vintage Canada Call No: Fic Wil Availability:1 of 1 At Your Library Summary Note: Peter Winceworth, a disaffected Victorian lexicographer, inserts false entries into a dictionary - violating and subverting the dictionary's authority - in an attempt to assert some sense of individual purpose and artistic freedom. In the present day, Mallory, a young overworked and underpaid intern employed by the dictionary's publishing house, is tasked with uncovering these entries before the work is digitised. As the novel progresses and their narratives combine, as Winceworth imagines who will find his fictional words in an unknown future and Mallory discovers more about the anonymous lexicographer's life through the clues left in his fictitious entries, both discover how they might negotiate the complexities of an absurd, relentless, untrustworthy, hoax-strewn, undefinable life. Braiding together contemporary and historical narratives, the novel explores themes of trust, agency and creativity, celebrating the rigidity, fragility and absurdity of language.
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c2008., Gotham Books Call No: 420.9 M177o Availability:1 of 1 At Your LibraryClick here to watch Click here to view Summary Note: Why do we say "I am reading a catalog" instead of "I read a catalog"? Why do we say "do" at all? Is the way we speak a reflection of our cultural values? Delving into these provocative topics and more, author McWhorter distills hundreds of years of lore into one lively history. Covering the little-known Celtic and Welsh influences on English, the impact of the Viking raids and the Norman Conquest, and the Germanic invasions that started it all during the fifth century AD, and drawing on genetic and linguistic research as well as a cache of trivia about the origins of English words and syntax patterns, McWhorter ultimately demonstrates the arbitrary, maddening nature of English--and its ironic simplicity, due to its role as a streamlined lingua franca during the early formation of Britain. This is the book that language aficionados have been waiting for.--From publisher description.
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c1998., HarperCollins Publishers Call No: 423 W759p Edition: 1st ed. Availability:1 of 1 At Your Library
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2007., Bantam Dell Call No: 421.52 E78s Availability:1 of 1 At Your LibraryClick here to watch Click here to view More...
