Dictionary of Word Origins: A History of the Words, Expressions and Cliches We Use (Paperback)

by Jordon Almond (Author)
Key Phrases: New York, Uncle Sam, Civil War (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover
Answering the age-old question, "Why do we say it?" this handy dictionary gives the intriguing origins of hundreds of everyday words and expressions.

How did lollipops get their name? (In the northern part of England, "lolly" means "tongue.")

What is "long" doing in the word "longshoreman"? (When ships were unloaded, the sailors passed the goods from their ships to the men 'long the shore.)

Why do we pass the buck? (In an old English card game, one would pass a jackknife, or "buck," to show whose turn it was to chip in.)

Useful for reference and fun just for browsing, Dictionary of Word Origins is also a great way to expand vocabulary and enjoy doing it.

Jordan Almond is professor emeritus of English at Farmdale University. He lives in Westchester, New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 286 pages
• Publisher: Citadel Pr (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806517131
• ISBN-13: 978-0806517131
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #144,036 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing, Instructional, Curious, October 23, 2002

By	A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com "RIP MJ" (Glen Ellyn, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Jordan Almond's "Dictionary of Word Origins" is an intriguing look at phrases and words we all toss about apart from their original meaning. This book is about those original meanings of cliches.

This is different than most 'unusual word' dictionaries. Usually, you'll get the term, maybe a pronunciation and a short definiton. Instead, here we are introduced to where the word came from. He explains it carefully in layman's language. He doesn't gussy up his book with high-fallootin' lexographical phrasology.

For example, he defines (for a camel to pass through the) "eye of a needle" by describing it biblical origination, and connects it with a Jewish town gateway so small only pedestrians and the smallest of camels can pass through, not large camels (hence, protecting the town from pillagers). Christ famously refers to this in the New Testament, forever placing the phrase in our vernacular.

Jordan tosses our way what 'doughboy,' 'hair of the dog,' 'grandfather clock,' 'corn,' 'boondoggle,' 'nose to the grindstone."

'Manna' for example, means, "What is it?" as the Isrealites had no idea what they were being given. 'Maudlin,' Jordan reveals, is from the British pronunciation of 'Magdalene,' and that early artists painted Mary Magdalene with a dour demeanor.

Editorial historians might differ with Jordan as per the precise origin of 'OK.' They would argue that it was a silly joke--an intended deviation of "all correct" (oll korekt) as written on acceptable copy. Jordan suggests that it is from Martin Van Buren's nickname of Old Kinderhook while he ran for office.

Knowing this is not a scientific text, you can enjoy this as I did, as something to wander through while sipping tea and munching warm scones on an early Saturday morning. Linguists, cultural anthropologists might all disagree about the beginnings of words, but, for me, it was a fun, educational read.

I fully recommend "Dictionary of Word Origins" by Jordan Almond.

Anthony Trendl

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable but inaccurate., August 17, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Kansas City) - See all my reviews

I liked this book but found mistakes. I feel that I can not always trust definitions or explanations submitted by Mr. Almond. Two examples would be "bull pen" and thimble. It has some very interesting information but should be double checked.

3.0 out of 5 stars Decent resource for writers & coaches, November 1, 2008

By	Joyce Schwarz "Joyce Schwarz" (Marina Del Rey, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Word derivation is a good resource to have on your bookshelf. It's also a good resource to have in doing self-development work where you are asked to create your own motto or vision statement. It's a good resource for writers and for career counselors.