{"product_id":"word-myths-debunking-linguistic-urban-legends-hardcover","title":"Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eDavid Wilton\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eIvan Brunetti\u003c\/b\u003e (Illustrator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you \"know\" that \u003cem\u003eposh\u003c\/em\u003e 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? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIf 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn addition, he explains \u003cem\u003ewhy\u003c\/em\u003e 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? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eArranged by chapters, this book avoids a dry A-Z format. Chapters separate misetymologies by kind, including \u003cem\u003eThe Perils of Political Correctness\u003c\/em\u003e (picnics have nothing to do with lynchings), \u003cem\u003ePosh, Phat Pommies\u003c\/em\u003e (the problems of \u003cem\u003ebacronyming\u003c\/em\u003e--the desire to make every word into an acronym), and \u003cem\u003eCANOE\u003c\/em\u003e (which stands for the Conspiracy to Attribute Nautical Origins to Everything). \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cem\u003eWord Myths\u003c\/em\u003e 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.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDavid Wilton\u003c\/strong\u003e, a writer, lives in California. He runs the popular website Wordorigins.org.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 240\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.85 x 8.22 x 5.82 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e December 02, 2004\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51780687724832,"sku":"9780195172843","price":33.46,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/61a0694df23fb12e6ed127dabf3d22cb.webp?v=1780534425","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/word-myths-debunking-linguistic-urban-legends-hardcover","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}