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A Word A Day: A Romp Through Some of the Most Unusual and Intriguing Words in English
 
 
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A Word A Day: A Romp Through Some of the Most Unusual and Intriguing Words in English (Paperback)

by Anu Garg (Author), Stuti Garg (Author) "It's a blessing to have a child at home..." (more)
Key Phrases: verb intr, folk etymology, full monty, Middle English, Late Latin, Old French (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
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Editorial Reviews

Review
"A delightful, quirky collection." -- The New York Times, November 28, 2002

"Extraordinary words." -- Chicago Tribune, November 24, 2002

"Indefatigably jaunty hilarity." -- The Observer (UK), January 19, 2003

"Part reference work, part entertainment, English teachers, Scrabble addicts, solvers of crossword puzzles, and other bibliophages will enjoy this book." -- Times Literary Supplement (UK), January 21, 2003

"Triggers the kind of passionate reaction that actors, authors and memoirists would die for." -- USA Today, January 1, 2003

“…Uncommon English words to enrich your vocabulary…” (India Today, 7 July 2003)

Review
"Anu and Stuti Gargs many readers await their A Word A Day rations hungrily. Now at last here's a feast for them and other verbivores. Eat up!" —Barbara Wallraff, senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly and authors of Word Court

"AWADies will be familiar with Anu and Stuti Gargs refreshing approach to words: words are fun and they have fascinating histories. The people who use them have curious stories to tell too, and this collection incorporates some of the correspondence received by the editors at the AWAD site, from advice on how to outsmart your opponent in a duel (or even a truel), to a cluster of your favorite mondegreens." —John Simpson, Chief Editor, Oxford English Dictionary

"A banquet of words! Feast and be nourished!" —Richard Lederer, author of The Miracle of Language

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 224 pages
  • Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 11, 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0471230324
  • ISBN-13: 978-0471230328
  • Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #211,678 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
It's a blessing to have a child at home. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
verb intr, folk etymology, full monty
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Middle English, Late Latin, Old French, Old English, Middle French, Late Greek, Old Norse
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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This book cites 11 books:
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Customer Reviews

20 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A warning about the length..., January 26, 2003
By A Customer
The reviewers I read echo my thoughts about this book -- I liked it a lot -- but they fail to warn how short it really is. There are 55 chapters, but most are 3 pages long, generously spaced, and the third page often has half or more of it as trailing blank space so the next chapter can start a new page. You can read it cover to cover in one sitting, so it's not much bang for the buck.

Buy the book, though. The quotations alone are worth the price, and Anu deserves some return for the AWAD website that he has provided free of charge for nearly 10 years. But the book would have been a much better value if it had been twice the length, which it could easily have been, given Anu's virtuosity.

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52 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Word A Day is a gift of love from the Garg family, November 14, 2002
Anu Garg dreams of a "society (that) will replace guns with dictionaries." This utopian hope is unfortunately not likely to ever occur. Nonetheless, the author of this "romp through some of the most unusual and intriguing words in English" is doing his utmost to make the world a better place. Many loyal subscribers have long been receiving his free daily "Wordsmith" e-mail that serves to expand our knowledge and understanding of the English language. Garg takes us along on a journey to explore a myriad collection of words that aid us in communicating with each other. Ever wondered what one should call a group of Pheasants? What about annus mirabilis? Anu Garg will gladly tell you. He will also explain the meaning of a clochard or a massif.

The English language is constantly evolving. Those who lived in the Middle Ages would be bewildered by the common tongue of today. Our democratic culture guarantees that English will never ossify and be under the control of an elite oligarchy. We will keep on adding more words and reinterpreting some in new ways previously thought not acceptable. Thus, Anu Garg will never be able to rest knowing that his task is finished. He has a job for life. The author thankfully possesses more than sufficient talent to handle these responsibilities. Almost certainly Garg's delightful wife Stuti and their wonderful five year old daughter Ananya will continue to offer their assistance. This is a fantastic book that should definitely grace your personal bookshelf. Moreover, it also makes a splendid gift for just about any occasion.

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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars makes a great gift for word lovers, November 25, 2002
By Yvonne Caruthers (Arlington, VA United States) - See all my reviews
I'm a loyal fan of AWAD, so I knew what to expect from this book and wasn't disappointed. Each chapter has several odd words, with their histories and examples of how they can be used. But for me, the best part of Anu's writing is the selection of quotes that appear at the bottom of each page in small print. Anu Garg has more fun with words than just about anyone around. You can't read him for very long without picking up his enthusiasm. I hope all AWAD readers will get a copy of this as a gift for others--spread the word!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and fun reading
You can pick this book up for a few minutes or an hour, it is informative and entertaining for any word lover.
Published 5 months ago by Sputnam

5.0 out of 5 stars Nancy LaMott's Beautiful Baby
Amazon provides quick, inexpensive, complete and thorough service. I always find what I'm looking for and it arrives quickly. Read more
Published 18 months ago by Grace Papagno

5.0 out of 5 stars The joy, magic and music of words ..
For those of us who love words, this book is a wonderful addition to any collection of books about language. Read more
Published 22 months ago by J. Cameron-Smith

5.0 out of 5 stars A fresh approach to words and language
Have always loved the AWAD web site and Garg's fresh approach to language. How nice to have a book in one's hand to peruse at leisure. Read more
Published on January 17, 2006 by Susan Zeman West

5.0 out of 5 stars Verbivores, unite, consolidate, aggregate...
Anu Garg writes a fun romp through the riches of the English language. Did'ja know that English has about 100,000 words? Read more
Published on December 29, 2005 by Joanna Daneman

5.0 out of 5 stars I think it's great!
I love the concept of a-word-a-day and this book supplements the daily e-mails because it lets me more easily go back to the words I need to access.
Published on October 27, 2005 by Rune Nilsen

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Book !
Suscribers to the AWAD mailing lists should be more than familiar with the entertaining and refreshing style of Anu. Read more
Published on December 16, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars If you love words, you will love this book!
This book is a compilation put out by Mr. Anu Garg. If you are not familiar with Mr. Garg, he keeps the "Word a Day" email list. Mr. Read more
Published on July 2, 2003 by Heather Buri

1.0 out of 5 stars A USELESS COLLECTION OF WORDS THAT RARELY EVEN EXIST
I strongly recommend against buying this book. As someone who can pretty much ace an SAT or any vocabulary test, I can tell you that basically no matter who you are, you will find... Read more
Published on April 26, 2003

5.0 out of 5 stars linguistic delight
I will keep it brief because the title of this book explains its subject matter well. This is a well-written, intriguing little book that begs to be pored over at one's leisure... Read more
Published on April 15, 2003 by D. Friedman

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