What's in a Word: Fascinating Stories of More Than 350 Everyday Words and Phrases

by Webb Garrison

Book Overview

Once upon a time... Tying the knot actually involved tying a knot-not saying vows. Meanwhile, a thinking cap wasn't just a cute idea for schoolchildren, but an actual hat worn by scholars in the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1558538119
• ISBN13: 9781558538115
• Release Date: June 2000
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Where did that word come from?

Have you ever wondered where the word "worsted" came from? This book has the answer to that question and a whole lot more words that are used in everyday life that we all probably don't even give another thought. "What's in a Word" provides snippets of information on the origin of 350 words and phrases organized by chapters like "Household", "Growing Things", "Common Speech" and "Males and Females", to name a few. This is a great coffee table book and is the companion to Webb Garrison's "Why You Say It". (I would love to read this book, too.) So what did I think of it? I loved it. It was fascinating to learn the origin of the different words that Mr. Garrison had chosen for the book. Since the chapter were set up with no real rhyme or reason, I found myself skipping through the chapters and reading about the words and phrases that interested me the most. I really liked that he kept the word explanations short and sweet. It made reading the various word explanation more interesting and less like overkill. Oh and far as the words "worsted", here's the excerpt direct from the book: "Worsted perpetuates Worstead, a town in Norfolk (Great Britain) that was elevated in importance by King Edward III. Eager to improve the quality of English woolens, the monarch brought over a group of Flemish weavers in the fourteenth century. He settled them in Worstead and they produced cloth of such high quality that it gained international fame."

I Love Words!!!

I already own another book by this author called Why You Say It and I really enjoy it. I was therefore, very excited to get this one to add to my collection. Since I am a junior high reading teacher, I deal with the etymology concept all of the time. I am constantly curious as to where words and phrase originated. This book was fabulous and I have really learned a great deal from it. It will go on my bookshelf in my room and is one I am sure I will refer to on a regular basis! If you like to see where words came from...I highly recommend this book!

A Great Read!

Recently, Thomas Nelson Publishers sent me a brand-new book for free to review. What's in a Word? presents a fascinating look at the etymology and origins of more than 350 common words and phrases. I really enjoyed this book, which is easy to read and nicely formatted. Most of the words and phrases have origins so unique that I never would have guessed a connection! "Make no bones about it," I have a "hunch" that reading What's in a Word? will be a "cinch" for you. It's "hands-down" a great read, and many other etymology books can't "hold a candle" to this one. Whether you "got up on the wrong side of the bed," narrowly escaped "by the skin of your teeth," or maybe just have "too many irons in the fire," this book will be interesting, humorous, and insightful! I found it amazing how many of our common phrases have either evolved from old English terms, or become abbreviations of their inventors' proponents' names. Some meanings have changed so much from their original definitions that they now mean something opposite. If you enjoy etymology, or simply like knowing the origin of the words you commonly say, then get this book!