What's in a Word? : Fascinating Stories of More Than 350 Everyday Words and Phrases

A compendium containing the origins and history of some of the most common words and phrases in the English language.Once upon a time... Tying the knot actually involved tying a knot—not saying vows. Meanwhile, a thinking cap wasn't just a cute idea for schoolchildren, but an actual hat worn by scholars in the Middle Ages. Oh, and when you make no bones about something, you should consider yourself lucky you aren't choking on a chicken foot. What's in a Word? answers the question it poses, more than three hundred times over. You'll learn which side of the bed is the wrong side, and why the word “nickname” is simply the product of slurred speech. Webb Garrison's etymological journey through the origins of words and phrases, both common and obscure, is sure to fascinate wordsmiths of every stripe. Why do we say "good bye"? For centuries people said "May God be with you" when they left each other. By Shakespeare's day, this phrase had been shortened to "God buy you". And later it was shortened again to "good-bye". A fascinating and ever-entertaining encyclopedia of the stories behind such everyday phrases

Here is a fascinating and humorous encyclopedia of more than three hundred words and phrases and how they have taken on new meanings over time. It is an informative reference book for the whole family. What's in a Word? is a sequel to Garrison's popular Why You Say It. Indexed.