Word Myths

Debunking linguistic urban legends

By: David Wilton

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Hardcover | 1 December 2004

At a Glance

Hardcover
234 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 13.97 x 1.75

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Do you "know" that posh comes from an acronym meaning "port out, starboard home"? That "the whole nine yards" comes from (pick one) the length of a WWII gunner's belt; the amount of fabric needed to make a kilt; a sarcastic football expression? That Chicago is called "The Windy City" because of the bloviating habits of its politicians, and not the breeze off the lake?

If so, you need this book. David Wilton debunks the most persistently wrong word histories, and gives, to the best of our actual knowledge, the real stories behind these perennially mis-etymologized words.

In addition, he explains why these wrong stories are created, disseminated, and persist, even after being corrected time and time again. What makes us cling to these stories, when the truth behind these words and phrases is available, for the most part, at any library or on the Internet?

Arranged by chapters, this book avoids a dry A-Z format. Chapters separate misetymologies by kind, including The Perils of Political Correctness (picnics have nothing to do with lynchings), Posh, Phat Pommies (the problems of bacronyming--the desire to make every word into an acronym), and CANOE (which stands for the Conspiracy to Attribute Nautical Origins to Everything).

Word Myths corrects long-held and far-flung examples of wrong etymologies, without taking the fun out of etymology itself. It's the best of both worlds: not only do you learn the many wrong stories behind these words, you also learn why and how they are created--and what the real story is.

Industry Reviews

"Think "hot dog" was coined by a New York baseball vendor, or that a certain vulgarity originated as an acronym? Then you need to read this book, which shows that some of the best etymological stories are just tall tales."--Chicago Tribune (10 Best Books About Language, 2004) "Detailing the whole fascinating history behind words and phrases that, for one reason or another, have tall tales attached to them.... Buy it for: Armchair academics/cocktail party know-it-alls."--Philadelphia Weekly "Think "hot dog" was coined by a New York baseball vendor, or that a certain vulgarity originated as an acronym? Then you need to read this book, which shows that some of the best etymological stories are just tall tales."--Chicago Tribune (10 Best Books About Language, 2004) "Amateur, no make that professional logophile and word origins website editor Wilton corrects the mistakes many of us make in what we believe are the origins of words and phrases. He begins by examining the origins of these fallacies, and why we persist in perpetuating them. After relieving us of any misconceptions about the existence of Dr. Condom, and sorting out that pesky "crap" question, Wilton concludes with ways to find, and enjoy the true origins of words."--Reference & Research Book News "This fascinating collection of myths about word origins should be a joy to read."--Don McCreary, Department of English, University of Georgia.

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Language & Linguistics Reference, Dictionaries & Guides Usage & Grammar Guides Linguistics Historical & Comparative Linguistics Dialect Language Learning & Teaching Language Teaching & Learning Material & Coursework Grammar, Vocabulary & Pronunciation Sociolinguistics

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Paperback

Published: 6th January 2010

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Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. 1
What Is a Linguistic Urban Legend?	p. 2
Where Do They Come From?	p. 3
How Do They Vary?	p. 6
Why Do We Tell Them?	p. 7
How Are They Told?	p. 10
Who Tells Them?	p. 14
Are We Being Spoilsports?	p. 14
How Do We Ferret Out the Truth?	p. 16
Debunking the Big Boys	p. 23
Ring Around the Rosie	p. 24
OK	p. 28
The Whole Nine Yards	p. 34
Rule of Thumb	p. 38
They Speak Elizabethan English in the Appalachians	p. 44
500 Eskimo Words for Snow	p. 50
Windy City	p. 54
Hot Dog	p. 58
The Elizabethan E-mail Hoax	p. 61
Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater	p. 66
Raining Cats and Dogs	p. 67
Dirt Poor	p. 69
Threshold	p. 70
Pease Porridge	p. 70
Bring Home the Bacon	p. 72
Chew the Fat	p. 72
Trencher / Trench Mouth	p. 72
Bed and Board	p. 73
Upper Crust	p. 74
Wake	p. 74
Graveyard Shift	p. 75
Saved by the Bell and Dead Ringer	p. 76
Posh, Phat Pommies	p. 79
Ichthys	p. 83
Cabal	p. 83
AWOL	p. 84
Fuck	p. 87
News and Tips	p. 92
Golf	p. 93
Spud	p. 94
Wog	p. 95
Nylon	p. 96
SOS	p. 97
Pommy	p. 98
Phat	p. 99
Posh	p. 100
Canoe	p. 103
Devil to Pay	p. 104
Let the Cat Out of the Bag	p. 104
Cold Enough to Freeze the Balls off a Brass Monkey	p. 106
Over a Barrel	p. 108
Mind Your Ps and Qs	p. 108
Under the Weather	p. 111
Knock Off	p. 112
Son of a Gun	p. 112
Railroad Origins	p. 113
Balling the Jack	p. 113
Balls to the Wall	p. 114
Ethnic Origins	p. 115
Lynch	p. 115
Jazz	p. 116
America	p. 123
Hookers, Harlots, and Condoms	p. 129
Hooker	p. 130
Harlot	p. 131
Condom	p. 133
Crap	p. 137
In Like Flynn	p. 139
Real McCoy	p. 141
Dixie	p. 145
Upset	p. 148
Pumpernickel	p. 150
Ellis Island Name Changing	p. 151
The Perils of Political Correctness	p. 155
Picnic	p. 157
Nitty Gritty	p. 159
Jimmies	p. 160
Indian / In Dios	p. 163
Indian Giver	p. 166
Squaw	p. 168
Hip / Hep	p. 170
Gay	p. 172
Faggot	p. 175
Handicap	p. 177
Politically Correct	p. 179
Tinker's Damn	p. 182
Wax Tadpoles and Jelly Doughnuts	p. 185
I Am a Jelly Doughnut	p. 186
Chevy No Go	p. 188
Bite the Wax Tadpole	p. 190
Turn It Loose and Fly Naked	p. 193
Kangaroo	p. 195
Gringo	p. 196
Conclusion	p. 198
Notes	p. 201
Selected Annotated Bibliography	p. 217
Index	p. 219
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Word Myths

Debunking linguistic urban legends

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

Other Editions and Formats

Paperback

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