As a self-confessed word-nerd with a penchant for relating various
linguistic stories to anyone who will listen, this exploration of
the origins of our most well-known turns of phrase certainly
appealed to me. But far from corroborating previous assumptions
such as thinking that the well-loved children's rhyme Ring-a-ring a
Roses actually refers to the symptoms of the Black Death (a
favourite of mine which always raises a few eyebrows and some
appreciative noises of interest at the pub), David Wilton's
well-structured trawl through linguistic urban legends serves to
set the etymological record straight. Using history, chronology and
linguistics as his primary tools, he debunks the folklore
surrounding everyday expressions, words and eponymous attributions
(e.g. assigning the word 'crap' to Thomas Crapper and his invention
of the toilet), and provides solid alternative suggestions where no
definitive answer can be found. If nothing else, by highlighting
the need to exercise judgement in believing what we read or, more
often than not, are told, Wilton is also commenting on what these
beliefs say about us. In my case, well, I don't think I'm quite
ready to give my colourful and fantastical tales up just yet - the
problem, as Wilton is well aware, is that the myth is often simply
more appealing than the truth. Nevertheless, exploring the
linguistic labyrinth that is the origins of English can never be
mundane and Wilson's truths make for an interesting and stimulating
read. And, of course, they are equally useful nuggets of trivia for
Sunday nights at the pub.(Kirkus UK)
Do you "know" that posh comes from an acronym meaning "port out,
starboard home"? That "the whole nine yards" comes from (pick one)
the length of a WWII gunner's belt; the amount of fabric needed to
make a kilt; a sarcastic football expression? That Chicago is
called "The Windy City" because of the bloviating habits of its
politicians, and not the breeze off the lake?
If so, you need this book. David Wilton debunks the most
persistently wrong word histories, and gives, to the best of our
actual knowledge, the real stories behind these perennially
mis-etymologized words.
In addition, he explains why these wrong stories are created,
disseminated, and persist, even after being corrected time and time
again. What makes us cling to these stories, when the truth behind
these words and phrases is available, for the most part, at any
library or on the Internet?
Arranged by chapters, this book avoids a dry A-Z format. Chapters
separate misetymologies by kind, including The Perils of Political
Correctness (picnics have nothing to do with lynchings), Posh, Phat
Pommies (the problems of bacronyming--the desire to make every word
into an acronym), and CANOE (which stands for the Conspiracy to
Attribute Nautical Origins to Everything).
Word Myths corrects long-held and far-flung examples of wrong
etymologies, without taking the fun out of etymology itself. It's
the best of both worlds: not only do you learn the many wrong
stories behind these words, you also learn why and how they are
created--and what the real story is.
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