A Potpourri of curious words like butterscotch, sputnik, or pin money, with explanations of their origin and significance.

The serious purpose of this book is, then, to supplement the dictionary, to fill gaps where filling seems to be warranted and to supply explanations for many of the curious words the significance of which is not evident from the parts that compose them. But as I do not think that a reference work need be a dry-as-dust compilation; it has been my aim to provide a little fillip of entertainment

He's as mad as a hatter! Whether it's like a bump on a log or a bat out of hell, these expressions have been around forever, but we've never really known why ... until now! Finally Dr. Funk explains more than 400 droll, colorful, and sometimes pungent expressions of everyday speech. Derived from classical sources, historic events, famous literature, frontier humor, and the frailties of humankind, each of these sayings has an interesting story behind its origin. If you've ever wondered why when you're in a hurry you are told to hold your horses, wonder no more!

Oh, horsefeathers! If you've ever wondered why the candy is called butterscotch; why a certain southern food is called a hush puppy; why tog supports in a fireplace are known as andirons, or sometimes firedogs, you'll be fascinated by the origins of the more than 600 words discussed in "a book that gets curiouser and curiouser as it goes along" (Son Francisco Chronicle).

A mouthwatering tale of invention. When a persnickety customer named Filbert P. Horsefeathers complains that George CrumÍs fried potatoes are too thick, George makes them thinner. When Filbert insists they are still too thick, George makes them even thinner. But when the plate is sent back a third time, George mischievously decides to use his sharpest knife to cut paper-thin potato slices, which he fries until they are crackling and douses liberally with salt. At last, Filbert is satisfied, proclaiming, ñPerfection!î Which they are. Because, quite by accident, George has invented potato chips! Based on true events, this delicious tale will have kids clamoring for more, more, more!

We love animals but insult humans by calling them everything from weasels or pigs to sheep, mice, chickens, sharks, snakes, and bird-brains. Animal epithets, words, and phrases are so widespread we often take them for granted or remain ignorant of the fascinating stories and facts behind them. Spanning the entire animal kingdom, Holy Cow! explains: Why hot dogs are named after canines. Why people talk turkey or go cold turkey. Why curiosity killed the cat, although dogs are more curious about us. Why letting the cat out of the bag originally referred to a duped shopper. What a horse of another color is, what horsefeathers politely alludes to, why a mule is a lady’s slipper, and what horseradish has to do with horses. Why the combination of humans and cows probably led to capitalism—its name from Latin for head, as in heads of cows. Why holy cow and sacred cow have almost opposite meanings. Whether people actually chewed the fat or ate crow (and why it’s a crowbar). How a hog became a motorcycle and a chick a young woman. What happens to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. What buck has to do with being naked. Why the birds and the bees. Why a piggy bank and why one feeds the kitty. What lame ducks have to do with U.S. presidents. How red herring came about via activists opposed to fox hunting. Where snake oil, popular in the 1800s and rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, came from. That the proverbial fly in the ointment goes back to the Bible’s Ecclesiastes (10:1). How Swiss watchmakers created teensy-weensy coaches for fleas to pull in flea circuses. And much—much!—more. Don't be a lame duck and get this book!

Originally published in 1961 by the founder of Rodale Inc., The Synonym Finder continues to be a practical reference tool for every home and office. This thesaurus contains more than 1 million synonyms, arranged alphabetically, with separate subdivisions for the different parts of speech and meanings of the same word.