In a Word

Each word or phrase used today had a beginning - a reason for being coined. Words travel through time and evolve, taking on new characteristics, new meanings, and fascinating tales of people, places, and events. "Applaud, " for example, goes back to ancient Rome, when an actor would turn to the audience and demand ""Plaudite!"" ("Clap!") This fun book contains 750 word origins written in a witty short-story style. Many of the words are accompanied by "P.S.'s," that provide details about a word's history and usage. Witty illustrations by Tom Lopes showcase many of the words' visual connections. The book comes with a language chart, an index, and an introduction by a linguistics scholar.