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 and “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. and ” Study the altered meanings in this erudite but fun book and you’ll be able to and “razzle-dazzle and ” (originally, a daylong drinking bout) your friends and acquaintances. So indulge your fancy for linguistic and “escapades and ” (no longer the plunging and rearing of a horse). The mind-expanding enjoyment of exhuming these forgotten meanings will and “manure and ” (to enrich the mind) your personal lexicon.

Altered English: Surprising Meanings of Familiar Words PDF

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