Synopses & Reviews
From apian (like a bee) to zodiac (little-animals circle), a word book that spots the animal origins of words and namesThere are mice in your muscles, and blackbirds in your merlot. Behind adulation is a dog's wagging tail. Peculiar houses a herd of cattle. Grubby is crawling with bugs. Wordhound Martha Barnette collects more than 300 common (and a few not-so-common) words that have surprising animal roots. Tracing word origins back to ancient Greek and Latin as well as to European roots and American slang, the entries offer a guided tour through literature, science, folklore, politics, and more--with a wilderness of animal meanings at every turn.
For fledgling word sleuths as well as those who fawn over etymologies, this is a delightful smorgasbord for writers, students, and word lovers.
About the Author
Martha Barnette is the author of two previous books about word origins,
A Garden of Words and
Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies. Based in Louisville, Kentucky, she writes a daily word-origins newsletter for thousands of subscribers.