Etymology in The Books Store

The Fascinating stories behind over 600 everyday words and phrases such as...

Alibi - The word is taken straight from Latin and means "elsewhere." The perfect "alibi" is to prove one was "elsewhere" when the deed was done.

And many more...

In 2007, the English language passed the million-word mark. That shouldn't come as a surprise since over a billion Earthlings speak English (no one knows about other planets, but they probably speak it, too). That makes for a lot of word-coiners (neologists) out there. And where are all these new words coming from? Hollywood? Technology? The Internet? Corporate boardrooms? Youthspeak? How do world events--from tsunamis and hurricanes to political doublespeak and presidential linguistic bumbling--influence the words we use on a daily basis? What do e-mails, text messages, and emoticons contribute to the language?

Let WordMan Paul J.J. Payack take you on a global tour of English-speaking worlds--virtual and otherwise:

• From India, Singapore, and China, to Australia, the U.S. and the U.K.

• From film, television, fashion, music, politics, sports, games, business, technology and science

• From TV junkies, fashionistas and sports fans, to amateur historians and linguists

• And from every other source that contributes to the global tapestry of English

Get ready for a whirlwind tour of our increasingly global culture and how it becomes that way.

A Million Words? Fundoo!

Podcast, Chinglish, truthiness, crunk. Just a year or two ago, these words were gibberish to most English speakers. Today they pop up in everyday conversation worldwide, just four of the ten thousand new words added to the English language every year. Spurred by the universality of the Internet--where it is the de facto lingua franca--and the global reach of its media, English is growing at a rate unprecedented in its 1500-year history. Indeed, in the spring of 2007, the English word count surpassed a million--over ten times the number available in French.

At the crest of this linguistic tsunami surfs Paul J.J. Payack, aka the WordMan. As president of the Global Language Monitor, he has tracked the latest developments--the fascinating hybrids, the bizarre etymologies, the lasting malapropisms--in the language shared by two billion of the Earth's citizens. Aided by a worldwide network of similarly obsessed "language mavens" and armed with his own powerful word-counting algorithm, Payack ensures that no new English word falls from the tongue or marks the page without being counted toward the Million Word March.

A Million Words and Counting is a celebration of the vast variety and ever-evolving expressiveness of humanity's most universal language. Fun and informative, this guide is a joyful exploration of English as it spreads across the globe, as it is spoken today, and as it expands into the future. Each entertaining chapter of this ambitious linguistic survey examines another source of new English, including Hollywood, youth culture, other languages, corporate boardrooms, and tongue-tied presidents. An engaging compendium of English-language facts and factoids, this is a trivia lover's goldmine and a logophile's playground.

“One of the best dictionaries of sea terms ever.”

—Library Journal

Bail out. The coast is clear. In deep water. These are just a few of the seafaring terms that have become part of our common language. But where do they come from, and what do they really mean? Peter Jeans provides all the answers in this book which was named a “Best Reference Source” by Library Journal.

In his journey to uncover word origins, Jeans paints a vivid picture of hardy Nantucket whalers and Elizabethan sea dogs, grizzled Nova Scotia fishermen and the crews of great clipper ships. Along the way, he recounts the exploits of such seafaring greats as Sir Francis Drake, Captain Cook, and John Paul Jones.

More than a dictionary, Ship to Shore is a fascinating chronicle of the sailing men who made an enduring contribution to the English language. Here readers will find origins of words and phrases such as:

• Listless
• Peepers
• To turn turtle
• Sundowner
• Unstayed
• To come in with flying colors
• Blowhard
• To be taken aback

Oh, horsefeathers!

If you've ever wondered why the candy is called butterscotch; why a certain southern food is called a hush puppy; why tog supports in a fireplace are known as andirons, or sometimes firedogs, you'll be fascinated by the origins of the more than 600 words discussed in "a book that gets curiouser and curiouser as it goes along" (Son Francisco Chronicle).