Words in Your Ear - Softcover

Burton, Tom

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1862544751 ISBN 13: 9781862544758

Publisher: Wakefield Press, 1999

"Words in Your Ear" is about the craziness of words. They can change their meanings in the most unpredictable ways. Synonyms can become antonyms and words that sound different can turn into homonyms. They can die for no apparent reason. And they can't be controlled: today's error is tomorrow's accepted form. But most of all, words are fascinating.

Following on the heels of his successful book "Words, Words, Words" Tom Burton delivers another witty look at the meanings and origins of words and phrases. Listings from April Showers to Subjunctives and from Elephants to Gin and Engines are drolly illustrated with cartoons from Michael Atchison.

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About the Author:

Words in Your Ear is about the craziness of words. They can change their meanings in the most unpredictable ways. And they can't be controlled: today's error is tomorrow's accepted form. But most of all they are fascinating. AUTHOR: Burton, Tom

Review:

A very entertaining book about the curious ways in which words change their meanings through time and space...A jolly good "rede". -- Australian Higher Education Supplement

Burton is droll as well as learned. -- Frank Devine, Australian Magazine

Tom Burton has the splendid temerity to accuse the mighty Oxford English Dictionary of misunderstanding its own citations. Good stuff! -- John Bernard, Australian Style

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