Do you approve of censoring the works of great writers? Some might contend that to bowdlerize a great writer's work would be to diminish its overall quality. Others, like Thomas Bowdler, whose eraser danced over every Shakespeare play, would argue that all modest people should be able to read a great work without blushing. For attacking the classics, Mr. Bowdler has been immortalized as the world's best-known, self-appointed literary censor. And because of his efforts the term bowdlerize has become eponymous with his name. Alternatively, the word bikini--defined as a two-piece bathing suit for women--has been a linguistic mystery since 1947 when these suits were first seen on the beaches of the French Riviera, a year after the United States began testing atom bombs on the Bikini atoll of the Marshall Islands. Some shocked people said that the impact of the scanty swimsuit on male beach loungers was like the devastating effect of the atomic bomb. Whoosh! A simpler and more credible notion is that the daring swimsuits resembled the attire worn by women on the Bikini atoll. Created about a century ago, the term eponym is itself a coinage from two Greek words, epi, "on" or "upon," and onama, "a name." But its broadened meaning, as dictionaries set it out, refers to a word derived from a proper name. For instance, Salisbury steak--a popular diner menu item created from common hamburger and dressed up with brown gravy to make it more appealing--is named for James H. Salisbury, an English physician who promoted a diet of ground beef. A Dictionary of Eponyms explores the origins of hundreds of these everyday words from Argyle socks to zeppelins. Written in an entertaining and anecdotal style, and with a foreword by Edwin Newman, the book includes a brief biography of the individual whose name became associated with an item or concept as well as information on how and when the name entered the language. If you've ever wondered just where terms like cardigan sweater, pamphlet, and robot come from, Morton Freeman does more than simply define them--he brings them to life.

A New Dictionary of Eponyms

History

Freeman, Morton S.

Europe

Oxford University Press

Semanticist Hayakawa provides the foreword to a guide to common grammar and usage problems, which discusses the correct use of punctuation, how to make a smooth transition from one idea to another, transitive verbs, colletive nouns, and much more. Original.

The One-minute Grammarian

Reference

Signet

Great condition, May have creases or dog ears or cover wear.

Words to the Wise

Foreign Language Study & Reference

Plume

Describes the history and meaning of hundreds of English words and expressions, and identifies each word's foreign source

Hue and Cry and Humble Pie: The Stories Behind the Words (Plume Books for Wordwatchers)

Words, Language & Grammar

The histories of words hold a special fascination because they touch our lives in an immediate way. Finding out the origins of our everyday vocabulary provides answers to the questions that cross our minds every time we use sayings that sound exotic and quirky, mysterious and fantastic, or totally illogical and unrelated to anything familiar in contemporary times. Haven't you ever wondered how one can win hands down? If jingo was imported from some faraway place? Why madness is associated with March hares? And what is so distasteful about eating crow? Knowing the tales and truths about common words and phrases adds a rich accuracy to our use of language and a lively sharpness to our tongue. Now this entertaining and informative sequel to the highly acclaimed Hue and Cry and Humble Pie brings us essays and anecdotes galore on another 500 words and phrases. No word maven will be able to look up just one.

Even-Steven and Fair and Square: More Stories Behind the Words (Wordwatchers)

Grammatical Lawyer

Ali Aba

A Treasury for Word Lovers

Literature & Fiction

Isi Pr

Describes the history and meaning for hundreds of English words and expressions, and identifies each word's foreign sources

The Story Behind the Word (Professional Writing Series)

The Story Behind the Word

Provides quick access to basic questions and problems encountered with English grammar and usage

The Wordwatcher's Guide to Good Writing and Grammar

Writers' Digest Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Freeman, Morton S.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Freeman, Morton S.