Book Description
Over the centuries, innumerable English words have drifted from their original purposes and acquired vastly different meanings - some subtle and others not so. Author Jeffrey Kacirk, a man intrigued by words, has sifted through mountains of discarded meanings to arrive at almost 1,500 entries in this fascinating romp through the ever-changing world of lexicography. As he puts it, his goal is to "leave the reader with a sense of where many modern usages may have come from, or in some cases have strayed, whether we choose to think of the changes as corruptions or improvements."
Study the altered meanings in this erudite but fun book and you'll be able to "razzle-dazzle" (originally, a daylong drinking bout) your friends and acquaintances. So indulge your fancy for linguistic "escapades" (no longer the plunging and rearing of a horse). The mind-expanding enjoyment of exhuming these forgotten meanings will "manure" (to enrich the mind) your personal lexicon.
About the author
Born in San Diego, Jeffrey Kacirk grew up near the Old Globe Theater, where he developed his fascination with the plays of William Shakespeare. While attending the University of California, San Diego, he also became intrigued with history, especially the language, activities, and customs of everyday people. He has successfully combined these two interests in Pomegranate's "Forgotten English" 365-day calendars and the books "Forgotten English" (Morrow, 1997) and "The Word Museum" (Simon and Shuster, 2000). Kacirk is also a contributor to the Oxford English Dictionary.
