What in the Word? Wordplay, Word Lore, and Answers to Your Peskiest Questions about Language (Harvest Original)

Elster, Charles Harrington

ISBN 10: 0156031973 / ISBN 13: 9780156031974

Published by Collins Reference (edition First Edition), 2005

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Bibliographic Details

• Title: What in the Word? Wordplay, Word Lore, and Answers to Your Peskiest Questions about Language (Harvest Original)
• Publisher: Collins Reference (edition First Edition)
• Publication Date: 2005
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0156031973
• ISBN 13: 9780156031974
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition: First Edition.
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

Are you so sure about “assure,” “ensure,” and “insure”? Can you determine whether a knob of butter is equivalent to a lump or a pat or a scosh? Can you say which word in the English language has the most definitions, or who put the H in Jesus H. Christ?

If you can’t, be assured that Charles Harrington Elster, author of several well-loved works on language, can—and does in his latest book, a delightfully designed compendium of the most common, interesting, and entertaining conundrums in our language. Drawing upon esoteric sources and his own inimitable expertise, Elster uses a lively question-and-answer format to cover a variety of topics—word and phrase origins, slang, style, usage, punctuation, and pronunciation. Every chapter features original brainteasers, challenging puzzles, and a trove of literary trivia.

About the Author

CHARLES HARRINGTON ELSTER is a writer, broadcaster, and logophile--a lover of words. He is the author of numerous books on language, including The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations, Verbal Advantage, There's a Word for It, and, most recently, The Accidents of Style: Good Advice on How Not to Write Badly. He lives in San Diego.