Verbivore's Feast: Second Course : More Word & Phrase OriginsIn phrases ranging from "break a leg" to "shake a stick," Chrysti the Wordsmith digs behind the colorful language to uncover fascinating stories about the history of language itself. |
Other editions - View all
Verbivore's Feast: Second Course: More Word & Phrase Origins Chrysti Mueller Smith Limited preview - 2015 |
Verbivore's Feast: Second Course : More Word & Phrase Origins Chrysti M. Smith,Chrysti (the Wordsmith.) No preview available - 2006 |
Common terms and phrases
20th century acronym American English American English speakers American Slang ancient animal appearing in print aptronym backronym became began appearing bird British buff called catchphrase century B.C. Chinook Jargon clean cliché coined comes common considered COULROPHOBIA creature dachshund decades derives Devil's Dictionary Dionysus dude early eponym etymological euphemism European example expres expression famous fashioned fear freak French full monty gangbusters Greek Greek-based hair horse human idiom inspired John Jumbo jump the shark king language Latin lexical Liberace linguistic literally means lives Malaprop metaphor metrosexual mondegreen moniker native nickname notion noun onym origin Oxford English Dictionary poem poet popular prefix proverb recorded referred Roman sausage scalawag Shakespeare simply sion someone song spam story stump suggests surname synonym Taino tale theory tion Today tradition turn tury verb word meaning word watchers writers wrote York young