Jesse's Word of the Day: www.jessesword.com [Paperback]

Jesse Sheidlower (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 26, 1998

My four year-old daughter has discovered the meaning of piggyback.  Can you explain its origins?

When is it appropriate to use ie. and eg.?

If I'm "in like Flynn" am I being compared to the actor?

Everyone in my office has started saying "yada-yada-yada."  I know this pre-dates Seinfeld.  Where does it come from?

In Jesse's Word of the Day, language expert Jesse Sheidlower offers witty and informative answers to the most interesting real-life language questions posed by visitors to the popular Web site he originated with Random House. His tradition is now being continued at The Mavens' Word of the Day (www.mavensword.com).


What are the origins of phrases like bated breath and skin of the teeth?  What's the proper way to use confusable words like lie and lay? Are there answers to popular puzzlers about the longest word in the English language or the number of words ending in -gry?  Jesse's responses to these are both authoritative and fun to read for language mavens of all levels.  A fun and practical resource, Jesse's Word of the Day answers the language questions you've always pondered, and some you haven't even thought to ask!

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

So what is that mysterious third word that ends "gry"? How did pig Latin get its name? What's the difference between i.e. and e.g.? Ask Jesse Sheidlower, senior editor for Random House Reference, whose Web site Jesse's Word of the Day has just made the transition to old-fashioned perfect-bound paper. The book compiles a few hundred of the most entertaining questions and answers from the site; Sheidlower's sense of humor shines as he explains word history and usage with breezy, snappy prose that would never make it into a dictionary. Whether used as a handy guide to some common English-language problems or simply browsed for pleasure, Jesse's Word of the Day will entertain, amuse, and educate anyone interested in the sometimes bizarre words we use every day. --Rob Lightner

From Library Journal

As senior editor in charge of slang and new words for the Random House reference department, Sheidlower routinely receives language questions via E-mail, researches the answers in the department's Living Language database and other print or database resources, and responds daily on his website (). Sheidlower's alphabetical compilation of actual questions and answers from the past year and a half describes, through witty and informed examples, not only the meaning and etymology of words but their style and historical and contemporary usage as well. From "a/an" (used before words beginning with "h") to "Zeitgeist," this book is a joy to browse and a painless way to review spelling and grammar (e.g., Is it "baited breath" or "bated breath" and why?). Similar in scope to works such as Morton Freeman's Hue and Cry and Humble Pie (LJ 2/1/93), Sheidlower's book has the edge as a dynamic resource with online archives and daily supplements. This will appeal to most public and academic libraries.?Cathy Sabol, Northern Virginia Community Coll., Manassas
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Random House Reference (May 26, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375702458
• ISBN-13: 978-0375702457
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,972,110 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Now "Random Word of the Day", November 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Jesse's Word of the Day: www.jessesword.com (Paperback)

Jesse Sheidlower has moved on, from Random House to OED. The information given above is out of date. Jesse no longer writes the Word of the Day. It is now called the Random House Word of the Day. You can still visit the site, and it's still good. (I know everyone involved, so I have to say this.) There was an October 1999 _NY Times_ Circuits section article on this and other Word-of-the-Day sites. The information I've mentioned above was included in a correction.

3 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Now "Random Word of the Day", November 26, 1999

By 

Barry A. Popik (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jesse's Word of the Day: www.jessesword.com (Paperback)

Jesse Sheidlower has moved on, from Random House to OED. The information given above is out of date. Jesse no longer writes the Word of the Day. It is now called the Random House Word of the Day. You can still visit the site, and it's still good. (I know everyone involved, so I have to say this.) There was an October 1999 _NY Times_ Circuits section article on this and other Word-of-the-Day sites. The information I've mentioned above was included in a correction.