num_pages: 288
description: The cat's pajamas, the bee's knees, and the whole nine yards rolled into one, this true feast for word lovers skewers commonly accepted word-origin myths and etymological folktales. Writing with flair and authority, word maven and Oxford English Dictionary contributor Michael Quinion shows us that the real story behind a word or phrase is often much stranger than the commonly accepted one. With this book in your arsenal, you'll have the last word in every word-lover's game of one-upmanship. So if you've ever wondered why we utter such oddities as "raining cats and dogs," "I couldn't care less," or "twenty-three skidoo," this one's for you. No ballyhoo!
language: English
title: Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins
titlecomplete: Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins
genres: Nonfiction, Reference, Humor, Language
ratings_count: 155
publisher: Harper Perennial