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Altered English: Surprising Meanings of Familiar Words

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Altered English: Surprise Meanings Of Familiar Words by ongoing contributor to the "Oxford English Dictionary" Jeffrey Kacirck, is a fascinating compilation of approximately 1,500 original and archaic definitions of familiar and contemporary words. Altered English: Surprise Meanings Of Familiar Words is a simply amazing reference that is pure fun to page through and packed from cover to cover with amusing surprises! For example, the original meaning of "landowner" was: A dead man; from his occupation of his grave. A common colloquialism for a man killed on the Western Front was 'a landowner in France. (Edward Fraser and John Gibbons, 1925)." If you have a fondness for complexity, richness, and surprises of the English language, then Altered English: Surprise Meanings Of Familiar Words is the book for you!

"Kacirk has collected current words and provided earlier definitions and their sources ... alphabetically, beginning with abandon ('to banish, to drive away' -- John Phin, 1902) and ending with a zig-zag ('drunk' -- Edward Fraser and John Gibbons, 1925). Kacirk's book is a flip-through find, perfect for everyone from lay word nerds to top-dollar scholars."--Dave Ford, San Francisco Chronicle