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101 Questions About the English Language
Susie Dent
ISBN: 9780199574155
Format: Paperback
Publisher:Oxford University Press
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Sparkling with insight and linguistic curiosity, this delightful compendium answers 101 of the most intriguing questions about the English language, from word origins and spelling to grammar and usage. Irresistible to anyone with an interest in the words around them.
The Blackout Crew have a song with the title 'Put a donk on it' - but what is a 'donk'? Which ending came first: '-ise' or '-ize'? Where does the idea of a 'white elephant' come from? Who decides on the collective noun for something? And what is it that made the crocodile cry? Sparkling with insight and linguistic curiosity, this delightful compendium answers 101 of the most intriguing questions about the English language, from word origins and spelling to grammar and usage. Irresistible to anyone with an interest in the words around them. Supported by Oxford's celebrated dictionary research programme, Susie Dent tackles these and many other fascinating questions in this wonderfully accessible and endlessly entertaining exploration of the English language.
| ISBN | 0199574154 | | Pages | 176 | | ISBN13 | 9780199574155
(What's this?) | | Volumes | 1 | | Publisher | Oxford University Press | | Weight (grammes) | 187 | | Imprint | Oxford University Press | | Published in | Oxford | | Format | Paperback | | Height (mm) | 196 | | Publication date | 22 Oct 2009 | | Width (mm) | 130 | | DEWEY | 428 | | Spine width (mm) | 13 | | DEWEY edition | DC22 | | Academic level | General |
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| | | Introduction | | | | | | Curious English: The Whens, the Whys, and the Wherefores | | | | | | Men, Women, and A Few Things In-Between | | | | | | Linguistic Prototypes: How It All Began | | | | | | Words on Show | | | | | | The Birds and the Bees | | | | | | Questions of English | | | | | | Riddles and Fiddles | | | | | | Urban Myths and Folk Origins | | | | | | Expletive Deleted | | | | | | I'm A Celebrity (Get Me In the Dictionary) | | | | | | Index | | |
Brilliantly fascinating and entertaining. Cotswold Life  Be the first to write a customer review
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