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Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins
 
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Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins [Hardcover]

William Morris (Author), Howard Morris (Author), Mary Morris (Author)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Product Description

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Anyone interested in the English language will be fascinated by -- and then obsessed with -- this dictionary that reads like an erudite gossip column for the city of words.

Book Description

The first Edition of the Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins detailed the fascinating and little known stories behind thousands of words and phrases that we use every day.In this new edition, William and Mary Morris update and expand their classic work to keep pace with our ever changing language.

New entries include:

  • New trends--crack, glitch, greenmail, Harrier attack airplanes

  • Foreign terms--falafel, geisha, jihad, paparazzi

  • People--batman, dead end kid, Dutch uncle, hatchet man, Young Turks

  • Given names--Chester, Edith, Jennifer and others

  • Food--Adam and Eve on a raft, alligator pear, grapefruit, Harriet Lane

  • Sports--box score, cheese champions, full court press

  • and many more

Throughout the Morris's present the histories of intriguing expressions in an eminently entertaining and readable fashion.

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (3)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent reference for phrase origins, Aug 27 2003
By A Customer
This review is from: Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins (Hardcover)
Just a short comment: I own several reference books on phrase etymology. This is the best of the bunch.
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4.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable book, but not true dictionary, July 17 2002
By A Customer
This review is from: Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins (Hardcover)
This book is an enjoyable read, with some phrases I have not found in other work phrase books (and I have about six such type books.) However, I think the title of the book has given this book and average rating among reviewers. Those expecting a comprehensive amount of word/phrase origins will be disappointed, but no fault of theirs, the book's title is misleading. The book's title should be something like "Interesting Word and Phrase Origins". It's also a little high-priced for what you get new, so definately get a used version.
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2.0 out of 5 stars Handy, but I've seen much better, May 29 2001
By A Customer
This review is from: Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins (Hardcover)
As a budding linguist (by hobby not vocation) it's kind of fun to be able to cross-reference with other dictionaries of word origins. But if you are of limited funds or just want a better source, I'd definitely suggest you give this a miss and go for something by Ayto or Oxford.
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