The Cabinet Of Linguistic Curiosities

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 385 pages
File Size : 43,7 Mb
Release : 2019-10-14
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9780226646701

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The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

Open The Cabinet of Linguistic Curiosities and you’ll find both a word and a day to remember, every day of the year. Each day has its own dedicated entry, on which a curious or notable event—and an equally curious or notable word—are explored. On the day on which flirting was banned in New York City, for instance, you’ll discover why to “sheep’s-eye” someone once meant to look at them amorously. On the day on which a disillusioned San Franciscan declared himself Emperor of the United States, you’ll find the word “mamamouchi,” a term for people who consider themselves more important than they truly are. And on the day on which George Frideric Handel completed his 259-page Messiah after twenty-four days of frenzied work, you’ll see why a French loanword, literally meaning “a small wooden barrow,” is used to refer to an intense period of work undertaken to meet a deadline. The English language is vast enough to supply us with a word for every occasion—and this linguistic “wunderkammer” is here to prove precisely that. So whatever date this book has found its way into your hands, there’s an entire year’s worth of linguistic curiosities waiting to be found.

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 44,9 Mb
Release : 2019-09
Category : Language and languages
ISBN : 1783964375

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Word Drops by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

If you're logofascinated, you are literally spellbound by language. Word Drops is a language fact book unlike any other, its linguistic tidbits all falling together into one long interconnected chain just with each fact neatly 'dropping' into place beside the next. What's more, throughout, footnotes are used to give informative and intriguing background to some of the most bizarre facts, covering everything from traditional Inuit games to the origin of the Bellini cocktail, from the precise length of one 'jiffy' to what the Romans thought hoopoe birds ate, and from what to expect on a night out with Dr Johnson to Samuel Pepys's cure for a hangover. Want to know the longest palindrome in Morse code, or who The Great Masticator was? Curious to know what Norwegian steam is, or what a jäääär is? The answers are all here. For all of the logofascinated among us, this is an immensely pleasurable and unpredictable collection that is guaranteed to raise eyebrows (the literal meaning, incidentally, of supercilious). 'Brilliant for anyone interested in the effervescent oddness of English' --Stig Abell

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 286 pages
File Size : 53,6 Mb
Release : 2020-09-01
Category : History
ISBN : 9780226682792

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Around the World in 80 Words by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

What makes a place so memorable that it survives forever in a word? In this captivating round-the-world tour, Paul Anthony Jones acts as your guide through the intriguing stories of how eighty places became immortalized in the English language. You’ll discover why the origins of turkeys, limericks, Brazil nuts, and Panama hats aren’t quite as straightforward as you might presume. If you’ve never heard of the tiny Czech mining town of Jáchymov—or Joachimsthal, as it was known until the late 1800s—you’re not alone, which makes its claim to fame as the origin of the word “dollar” all the more extraordinary. The story of how the Great Dane isn’t all that Danish makes the list, as does the Jordanian mountain whose name has become a byword for a tantalizing glimpse. We’ll also find out what the Philippines has given to your office inbox, what Alaska has given to your liquor cabinet, and how a speech given by a bumbling North Carolinian gave us a word for impenetrable nonsense. Surprising, entertaining, and illuminating, this is essential reading for armchair travelers and word nerds. Our dictionaries are full of hidden histories, tales, and adventures from all over the world—if you know where to look.

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : Elliott & Thompson
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 51,9 Mb
Release : 2021-04
Category : Electronic
ISBN : 1783965924

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The Cabinet of Calm by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

Open The Cabinet of Calm to find a comforting word that's equal to your troubles. Beginning with the griefs or discomforts we all feel on difficult days, Paul Anthony Jones offers us a matching linguistic remedy: fifty-one soothing words for troubled times. These kind words - alongside their definitions and their stories - will calm and inspire; comfort and delight; and provide fresh hope. Written with a trademark lightness of touch, The Cabinet of Calm shows us that we're not alone. Someone else has felt like this before, and so there's a word to help, whatever the challenge. So much more than a book of words, The Cabinet of Calm will soothe your soul and ease your mind.

Author : John McWhorter
Publisher : Penguin
Page : 240 pages
File Size : 44,6 Mb
Release : 2013-02-12
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9781101644454

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What Language Is by John McWhorter Pdf

New York Times bestselling author and renowned linguist, John McWhorter, explores the complicated and fascinating world of languages. From Standard English to Black English; obscure tongues only spoken by a few thousand people in the world to the big ones like Mandarin - What Language Is celebrates the history and curiosities of languages around the world and smashes our assumptions about "correct" grammar. An eye-opening tour for all language lovers, What Language Is offers a fascinating new perspective on the way humans communicate. From vanishing languages spoken by a few hundred people to major tongues like Chinese, with copious revelations about the hodgepodge nature of English, John McWhorter shows readers how to see and hear languages as a linguist does. Packed with Big Ideas about language alongside wonderful trivia, What Language Is explains how languages across the globe (the Queen's English and Surinam creoles alike) originate, evolve, multiply, and divide. Raising provocative questions about what qualifies as a language (so-called slang does have structured grammar), McWhorter also takes readers on a marvelous journey through time and place-from Persian to the languages of Sri Lanka- to deliver a feast of facts about the wonders of human linguistic expression.

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : Elliott & Thompson
Page : 0 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2024-02-14
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 1783967021

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Why Is This a Question? by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

Why don't eleven and twelve end in -teen? The rest of our counting system sits in neatly arithmetical sets of ten, so why do these two rulebreakers seem so at odds with the numbers that follow them? Admittedly, that question might never have occurred to you. But if you're even remotely interested in the origins and oddities of language, you're probably now intrigued to know the answer. Nor is it the only question: take a moment to think about how our language operates and even more spring to mind. Why do these letters look the way they do? Why are some uppercase and others lowercase? Why are these words in this order? How are you understanding what these seemingly arbitrary shapes and symbols mean? And what even is a question anyway? Delving into the origins of our alphabet and writing system; grammatical rules and conventions; the sound structure of language; and even how our brains and bodies interpret and communicate language itself, Why Is This a Question? is a fascinating and enlightening exploration of linguistic questions you've likely never thought to ask.

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 224 pages
File Size : 50,8 Mb
Release : 2019-06-13
Category : English language
ISBN : 1783964383

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The Accidental Dictionary by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

Brimming with hidden histories and tantalising twists, The Accidental Dictionary tells the extraordinary stories behind ordinary words. Our everyday language is full of surprises; its origins are stranger than you might think. Any word might be knocked and buffeted, subjected to twists and turns, expansions and contractions, happy and unhappy accidents. There are intriguing tales behind even the most familiar terms, and they can say as much about the present as they do the past. Busking, for instance, originally meant piracy. Grin meant to snarl. A bimbo was a man, nice meant ignorant, glamour was magic and a cupboard was a table... Focusing on 100 surprising threads in the evolution of English, The Accidental Dictionary reveals the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today. It is a weird and wonderful journey into words. "A real delight ... hidden gems nestle on every page" -- JaffaReadsToo "The Accidental Dictionary is certainly worth adding [to a bookshelf]... I knew very few of these, which is a good thing, and now I know more, which is a better one" -- Marcus Berkmann, Spectator Christmas books 2016

Author : Steven Pinker
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 578 pages
File Size : 54,8 Mb
Release : 2010-12-14
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780062032522

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The Language Instinct by Steven Pinker Pdf

"A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book." — New York Times Book Review The classic work on the development of human language by the world’s leading expert on language and the mind In The Language Instinct, the world's expert on language and mind lucidly explains everything you always wanted to know about language: how it works, how children learn it, how it changes, how the brain computes it, and how it evolved. With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 288 pages
File Size : 45,9 Mb
Release : 2013-10-17
Category : Humor
ISBN : 9781472109415

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Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

What do the following ten words all have in common - haggard, mews, codger, arouse, musket, poltroon, gorge, allure, pounce and turn-tail? All fairly familiar and straightforward words, after a little digging into their histories it turns out that all of them derive from falconry: the adjective haggard described an adult falcon captured from the wild; mews were the enclosures hawks were kept in whilst moulting; codger is thought to come from 'cadger', the member of a hunting party who carried the birds' perches, and so on. This, essentially, is what Ten Words is all about - the book collects together hundreds of the most intriguing, surprising and little known histories and etymologies of a whole host of English words. From ancient place names to unusual languages, and obscure professions to military slang, this is a fascinating treasure trove of linguistic facts.

Author : Roman Krznaric
Publisher : Profile Books
Page : 527 pages
File Size : 46,6 Mb
Release : 2011-12-22
Category : History
ISBN : 9781847654458

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The Wonderbox by Roman Krznaric Pdf

There are many ways to try to improve our lives - we can turn to the wisdom of philosophers, the teachings of religions or the latest experiments of psychologists. But we rarely to look to history for inspiration - and when we do it can be surprisingly powerful. Showing the lessons that can be learned from the past, cultural historian Roman Krznaric explores twelve universal topics, from work and love to money and creativity, and reveals the wisdom that we've been missing. There is much to be learned from Ancient Greece on relationships, from the industrial revolution on job satisfaction, and from Ming-dynasty China on bringing up our children. Just as a Renaissance 'Wunderkammer' was a curiosity cabinet full of fascinating objects, each with a story behind it, The Wonderbox is full of stories and ideas from history, each of which sheds invaluable light on the decisions we make every day, whether we think about the different uses of the senses or changing attitudes to time. History is usually read for pleasure or for insight into current affairs, but The Wonderbox, stepping into the territory of Alain de Botton and Theodore Zeldin, is 'practical history' - using the past to think about our day to day lives.

Author : Paul Anthony Jones
Publisher : Hachette UK
Page : 325 pages
File Size : 42,6 Mb
Release : 2012-11-07
Category : Games & Activities
ISBN : 9780857658159

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The British Isles by Paul Anthony Jones Pdf

From a Scottish waterfall three times the height of Niagara Falls to the last foreign invasion of Britain, The British Isles: A Trivia Gazetteer brings together hundreds of remarkable facts concerning different locations across Britain and Ireland. An As much an accessible and informative reference book as it is an entertaining miscellany.

Author : Josefa Heifetz
Publisher : Unknown
Page : 270 pages
File Size : 45,7 Mb
Release : 2002-07-31
Category : Reference
ISBN : 1567315542

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Word Lover's Dictionary by Josefa Heifetz Pdf

Author : Henry Yule,A. C. Burnell
Publisher : OUP Oxford
Page : 624 pages
File Size : 47,7 Mb
Release : 2013-06-13
Category : Reference
ISBN : 9780191645839

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Hobson-Jobson by Henry Yule,A. C. Burnell Pdf

'A glossary of colloquial Anglo-Indian words and phrases, and of kindred terms, etymological, historical, geographical and discursive.' Hobson-Jobson is a unique work of maverick scholarship. Compiled in 1886 by two India enthusiasts, it documents the words and phrases that entered English from Arabic, Persian, Indian, and Chinese sources - and vice versa. Described by Salman Rushdie as 'the legendary dictionary of British India' it shows how words of Indian origin were absorbed into the English language and records not only the vocabulary but the culture of the Raj. Illustrative quotations from a wide range of travel texts, histories, memoirs, and novels create a canon of English writing about India. The definitions frequently slip into anecdote, reminiscence, and digression, and they offer intriguing insights into Victorian attitudes to India and its people and customs. With its delight in language, etymology, and puns, Hobson-Jobson has fascinated generations of writers from Rudyard Kipling to Tom Stoppard and Amitav Ghosh. This selected edition retains the range and idiosyncrasy of the original, and includes fascinating information on the glossary's creation and its significance for the English language. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Author : Graham Robb
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
Page : 480 pages
File Size : 43,6 Mb
Release : 2008-10-17
Category : History
ISBN : 039306882X

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The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography by Graham Robb Pdf

"A witty, engaging narrative style…[Robb's] approach is particularly engrossing." —New York Times Book Review A narrative of exploration—full of strange landscapes and even stranger inhabitants—that explains the enduring fascination of France. While Gustave Eiffel was changing the skyline of Paris, large parts of France were still terra incognita. Even in the age of railways and newspapers, France was a land of ancient tribal divisions, prehistoric communication networks, and pre-Christian beliefs. French itself was a minority language. Graham Robb describes that unknown world in arresting narrative detail. He recounts the epic journeys of mapmakers, scientists, soldiers, administrators, and intrepid tourists, of itinerant workers, pilgrims, and herdsmen with their millions of migratory domestic animals. We learn how France was explored, charted, and colonized, and how the imperial influence of Paris was gradually extended throughout a kingdom of isolated towns and villages. The Discovery of France explains how the modern nation came to be and how poorly understood that nation still is today. Above all, it shows how much of France—past and present—remains to be discovered. A New York Times Notable Book, Publishers Weekly Best Book, Slate Best Book, and Booklist Editor's Choice.

Author : Deirdre Nansen McCloskey
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
Page : 165 pages
File Size : 44,5 Mb
Release : 2019-05-17
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN : 9780226448107

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Economical Writing, Third Edition by Deirdre Nansen McCloskey Pdf

Write clearly about any subject: “Writers should check out Economical Writing, and editors should recommend it. Your future readers will be thankful.” —Journal of Scholarly Publishing Economics is not a field known for good writing. Charts, yes. Sparkling prose, no. Except, that is, when it comes to Deirdre Nansen McCloskey. Her conversational and witty yet always clear style is a hallmark of her classic works of economic history, enlivening the dismal science and engaging readers well beyond the discipline. And now she’s here to share the secrets of how it’s done, no matter what your field. Economical Writing is itself economical: a collection of thirty-five pithy rules for making your writing clear, concise, and effective. Proceeding from big-picture ideas to concrete strategies for improvement at the level of the paragraph, sentence, or word, McCloskey shows us that good writing, after all, is not just a matter of taste—it’s a product of adept intuition and a rigorous revision process. Debunking stale rules, warning us that “footnotes are nests for pedants,” and offering an arsenal of readily applicable tools and methods, she shows writers of all levels of experience how to rethink the way they approach their work, and gives them the knowledge to turn mediocre prose into magic. At once efficient and digestible, hilarious and provocative, Economical Writing lives up to its promise. With McCloskey as our guide, we discover how any piece of writing—on economics or any other subject—can be a pleasure to read.