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We all swear, whether we admit it or not, but do you know the fascinating origins of the curses and maledictions that we spout out of spite and malice, or simply to entertain? Here is practically every dirty word and foul phrase you've ever heard in English, along with a great many that you may not have heard. From Chaucer and Shakespeare to Lenny Bruce and Mel Brooks, Come Again? offers you the frank and the filthy, the obtuse and the obscene,...
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Whether she is belting out one of her number one hit country songs, cheering on her NFL-star husband in the stands, working on her fashion label, Kittenish, or making dinner for her hubby and three children, Jessie James Decker is constantly on the move. For years she has been performing and singing for fans, while also bringing people into her life through her hit E! show, Eric & Jessie, and Instagram, where she posts about family, food, and whatever...
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2010.
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In day-to-day speech we use words and phrases without a passing thought as to why we use them or where they come from. Max Cryer changes all that by showing how fascinating the English language really is. Did you know that the former host of Today, Jane Pauley, claims to have coined the term "bad hair day," or that a CBS engineer named Charley Douglass invented the name and use of "canned laughter" for television, or that "cold turkey" as a...
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A handy guide to legal wisdom past and present.
To be a lawyer or a politician or a judge, one must dedicate their lives to serving the public good. For anyone considering a career in law or anyone interested in philosophy, politics, and/or government, herein you will find an entertaining and educational collection of legal wisdom from some of history’s greatest thinkers. The road to justice is not always easy. It is fraught with conflict, scandal,...
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The legal system and the lawyers who operate in (and around) it have influenced society and continue to do so today. In this age of the slip-and-fall, "false" advertising, and medical "malpractice," it's clear that the quest for justice has not always been easy-it's also been hilarious, poignant, enlightening, and scandalous.
Words from renowned lawyers, not-so-renowned lawyers, judges, authors, politicians, philosophers, and preachers make up this...
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We love animals but insult humans by calling them everything from weasels or pigs to sheep, mice, chickens, sharks, snakes, and bird-brains. Animal epithets, words, and phrases are so widespread we often take them for granted or remain ignorant of the fascinating stories and facts behind them.
Spanning the entire animal kingdom, Holy Cow! explains:
Why hot dogs are named after canines. Why people talk turkey or go cold turkey.
Why curiosity killed...
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English
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Have you been putting bullion in your soup? Is incorrect spelling starting to have a negative effect on your term papers? Do you wonder what someone is inferring when they tell you to pick up a dictionary? These are just a few of the commonly misunderstood words discussed and explained in Abused, Confused, and Misused Words, an entertaining and informative look at the ever-changing nature of the English language. An alphabetical list of words that...
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From real, larger-than-life showmen like Buffalo Bill to silver-screen gunslingers like John Wayne, the cowboy has become an international symbol of honor, adventure, valor, daring, and courage. The era of the cowboy lasted from roughly just before the Civil War to the turn of the century, but it created some of the most enduring and popular names of all time: Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, Wild Bill Hickok, and Pat Garrett, just to name a few. And although...
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"Better a witty fool, than a foolish wit," said the world's greatest and most preeminent English writer of all time, William Shakespeare.
Have you ever wanted to quote the most quoted writer in the English language? Deliver the most inventive and debasing Shakespearean insult ("Would thou wert clean enough to spit upon!")? Recite titillating love poetry like a modern-day Romeo to his (or her) Juliet? Or commit a learned wisdom about life's woes to...
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Chock-full of jokes and entertaining twists of the tongue, this lighthearted but scholarly guide to humorous language is a sure hit with word lovers. The examples are entertainingly bawdy, with a delightful narrative voice in word sleuth and author, Jim Bernhard. He provides examples and puzzles, teaching a smidgen of historical and etymological scholarship, but above all, amusing his audience.
Puns from Greek dramatists, Shakespeare, the Bible,...
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Did you know that a horse apple is actually a type of orange? Or that a whiffletree is not a tree at all? You will, after you pore through this delightful dictionary of old-fashioned words that are quickly slipping from America's vocabulary. With over 100 illustrations, and steeped in nostalgia, it makes for a fun trip down memory lane. Wander into America's past and play a game of Rolley Holley, buy a Tin Lizzy, and make friends with some doughboys....
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The Cheaper the Crook, the Gaudier the Patter: Forgotten Hipster Lines, Tough Guy Talk, and Jive Gems explores the rich vocabulary of gangsters, hipsters, jazz musicians, and military personnel of the 1930s and '40s. Entries include definitions, etymology, and examples of usage. This delightful compendium celebrates the linguistic gems cut and polished during the Great Depression, World War I, and the postwar fifties-now forgotten or in danger of...
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"Stop looking at the world through rose-colored bifocals."
"His mind is so open, the wind whistles through it."
"You can't teach an old dogma new tricks."
Ever wonder where these sayings came from? For decades, the dining room of New York's legendary Algonquin Hotel was a hub of letters and humor. Cocktails swirled as writers, humorists, actors, and critics poked fun at culture, the arts, and one another. In this lively tribute, today's readers will...
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Hope is an interesting thing. Some think it's foolish, often misplaced, and at rarer times devastating; but more agree that hope is an integral and beautiful part of life, something that implicitly makes us human. We're always hoping for something-for change, for improvement, or to find peace of mind amid life's bustling demands. These things are often the subjects of our deepest desires, those things that can bring us true happiness. Fortunately...
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In this extensive collection of words to enlighten your mind and uplift your spirit, you will find something applicable to any problem, situation, or conundrum, as well as the inspiration for living your everyday life to the fullest. From the classic wisdom of thinkers such as Aristotle, Francis Bacon, and Thoreau, to the brilliance of more modern luminaries such as Maya Angelou, Golda Meir, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill, and even lighthearted...
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For first-timers, veterans, or those hoping to join the ranks real' soon, here is a collection of more than 250 memorable quotations that capture the ups and downs and all points in between of what it means to be a grandmother and the inherent wisdom, power, and grandchildren-spoiling privileges that come with it. Heartwarming musings, advice, opinions, and observations are drawn from famous grandmothers around the world and those who know them all...
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As times change so do the things we use and what we call them. W.R. Runyan has compiled a fascinating collection of words and phrases that, once common everywhere in America, are little known today. This book is a celebration of our linguistic past that will be a treat from word lovers everywhere. Do you know any of these: Snaffle, Steelie, Gully Washer, Cabriolet, Calk, Hardpan, Carbuncle, Pie Bird, Fid, or Hame? Did you know that a "Horse Apple"...
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When faced with life's greatest quandaries, there's just one place to go for advice: all your beloved heroes and heroines. These 6,000 thought-provoking quotations cover almost every imaginable dilemma and come from writers like Confucius, Horace, Shakespeare, Twain and Austen; modern figures such as Andy Rooney and Meryl Streep; and fictional TV favorites Homer Simpson and Chandler Bing. Need help when considering a new look? Jim Morrison warns:...
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Words equal credibility. The more articulate a person is, the more seriously they will be taken—by everyone.
On any given day, you might read "abrogate" used in a USA Today article; or "demagogue" or "fiduciary" used on CNN. You might hear "ensorcelled" and "torpor" in a TV drama; you'll hear a political candidate described as "truculent." You may hear "pedantic" used in a movie. How many of these words are part of most college...
On any given day, you might read "abrogate" used in a USA Today article; or "demagogue" or "fiduciary" used on CNN. You might hear "ensorcelled" and "torpor" in a TV drama; you'll hear a political candidate described as "truculent." You may hear "pedantic" used in a movie. How many of these words are part of most college...
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