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Apr 24, 2007 | ISBN 9781101201237 Buy
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Apr 24, 2007 | ISBN 9781101201237
A delightfully addictive compendium of fascinating word facts that does for the dictionary what Eats, Shoots, and Leaves did for the manual of style With the easy erudition and lively wit that have won her legions of fans, Canada’s “Word Lady” reveals the entertaining histories behind 500 of the most common words and phrases in the English language. Who knew that “travel” is derived from an instrument of torture? That “tragedy” originally had something to do with goats? That “glamour” and “grammar” started out as the same word? Katherine Barber’s captivating collection is organized by season, so readers can open to Valentine’s Day to learn about the origins of “passion fruit” or flip to Thanksgiving to find out why there aren’t any turkeys in Turkey. An irresistible blend of entertainment and enlightenment, this delightful book will captivate the word lover in all of us.
Raised in Winnipeg, Katherine Barber attended the University of Winnipeg and the University of Ottawa. Her first job working on a dictionary was with the Bilingual Canadian Dictionary project at the University of Ottawa. In 1991, she was recruited by… More about Katherine Barber
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