Description
Explains the origins of thousands of words, proverbs, idioms, foreign language expressions, animal and plant names, and nicknames
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Expanded and revised to 15,000 entries roughly triple the greatest number in any previous collection of its kind. An effort has been made to illustrate all the many ways words and phrases are born (words deriving from the numerous languages and dialects that have enriched English, echoic words, coined words, slang, words from the names of places, people, animals, occupations, leisure activities, mispronuciations, etc.) An index has been added to help readers find people, categories, information, and anecdotes difficult to locate when just alphabetized entries are available. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
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