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Michael Quinion
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Gallimaufry: A Hodgepodge of Our Vanishing Vocabulary
Автор: Michael Quinion Жанр: Daedalus Books Издательство: Daedalus Books Год: 2009 Страниц: 288 Дата загрузки: 14 сентября 20142011-10-23
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What is a gallimaufry anyway? And when did you last hear someone refer to the wireless? What was the original paraphernalia? Would you wear a billycock? Language is always changing, and here Michael Quinion, author of the bestselling POSH and Other Language Myths, has gathered together some fascinating examples of words and meanings which have vanished from our language. Sometimes a word is lost when the thing it describes becomes obsolete, sometimes it survives in a figurative sense while the original meaning is lost, and sometimes it simply gives way to a more popular alternative. The story of these and many other words opens a window into the lives of past speakers of the English language.
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Why is Q Always Followed by U?: Word-perfect Answers to the Most-asked Questions About Language
Автор: Michael Quinion Жанр: Penguin Group Издательство: Penguin Group Год: 2011 Страниц: 368 Дата загрузки: 11 августа 20132013-05-26
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Long-time word-detective and bestselling author of «Port Out», «Starboard Home», Michael Quinion brings us the answers to nearly two hundred of the most intriguing questions he's been asked about language over the years. Sent to him by enquiring readers from all around the globe, Michael's answers about the meanings and histories behind the quirky phrases, slang and language that we all use are set to delight, amuse and enlighten even the most hardened word-obsessive. Did you know that 'Blighty' comes from an ancient Arabic word? Or that Liberace cried his way to the bank so many times people think he came up with the phrase? That 'cloud nine' started out as 'cloud seven' in the speakeasies of '30s America? And that the first person to have their thunder stolen was a dismal playwright from Drury Lane? Michael Quinion's «Why is Q Always Followed By U?» is full of surprising discoveries, entertaining quotations and memorable information. There are plenty of colourful stories out there, but Michael Quinion will help you discover the truth that lies behind the cock-and-bull stories and make sure you're always linguistically on the ball.
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Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins
Автор: Michael Quinion Жанр: HarperCollins Publishers Издательство: HarperCollins Publishers Год: 2006 Страниц: 280 Дата загрузки: 12 сентября 20112008-07-11
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The cat's pajamas, the bee's knees, and the whole nine yards rolled into one, this true feast for wordlovers delightfully skewers commonly accepted word origin myths and etymological «folk tales.» From the bawdy to the sublime, Quinion's explanations and delightful asides truly prove that the «proof is in the pudding.»
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