Many words and expressions commonly used in English are rooted in Mythology. Dibbley looks at the most colorful ones, briefly recounting the stories of the gods and heroes and their trials and tribulations that inspired them in the first place.

Ever wondered what the Ms in M&Ms stand for? If Scotch tape was invented in Scotland? Why a cereal that contains neither grapes nor nuts is called Grape Nuts? Who thought Gap was a good name for a clothing store? From the Adidas we wear to the Volkswagens we drive, the daily lives of Americans are dominated by the manufacturers' trademarks that adorn nearly everything we own. Food, clothes, cars, household furnishings, even cell phones are all chosen by brand name. Yet many of these trademarks and product names pose mysteries. But not when Evan Morris, creator of the award-winning The Word Detective website, is on the case! In From Altoids to Zima he reveals the fascinating, often wacky stories behind 125 brand names. Organized by product categories -- food and drink; clothing; technology, toys, and assorted bright ideas; cars; and drugs and cosmetics -- the story of each product is told with Morris's trademark wit and humor, complete with sidebars that highlight brand names that have become "genericized" (aspirin); a "What Were They Thinking?" honor roll of strange and often disastrous product names (Edsel); what happens when good brand names go bad (Kool-Aid after the Jonestown mass suicide); and debunked urban legends (the combination of Pop Rocks and soda that was rumored to be lethal).

Unlike most etymology textbooks, this one presents the words studied in the context of the ideas in which the words functioned. Instead of studying endless lists of word roots, suffixes, and prefixes in isolation, the words are enlivened by their social, literary, and cultural media. Features: Chapters on Mythology, Medicine, Politics and Law, Commerce and Economics, Philosophy and Psychology, History Introduction to word building Exercises throughout Illustrations of ancient artifacts Clever cartoons on word origins Glossary of English words and phrases.

The beloved bathroom reader series continues with this twenty-ninth edition that’s overflowing with strange facts on an assortment of topics. What’s so uncanny about the twenty-ninth annual edition of Uncle John’s? This enduring book series has been delivering entertaining information to three generations of readers (so far) . . . and it’s still going strong! How do they do it? Back in 1988, Uncle John successfully predicted the way that twenty-first-century readers would want their information: in quick hits, concisely and cleverly written, and with details so delightful that you’re compelled to share them with someone else. (Kind of like the Internet, but without all those annoying ads.) This groundbreaking series has been imitated time and time again but never equaled. And Uncanny is the Bathroom Readers’ Institute at their very best. Covering a wide array of topics—incredible origins, forgotten history, weird news, amazing science, dumb crooks, and more—readers of all ages will enjoy these 512 pages of the best stuff in print. Here are but a few of the uncanny topics awaiting you: · The World’s Weirdest Protests · The Wit and Wisdom of Bill Murray · Forgotten Game Shows · Darth Vader’s Borderline Personality Disorder, and Other Real Psychiatric Diagnoses of Fictional Characters · Manly Historical Leaders and Their Manly Tattoos · NASA’s “Pillownaut” Experiment · The Secret Lives of Squatters · Cooking with Mr. Coffee · Odd Alcoholic Drinks from Around the World · The History of the Tooth Fairy · Zoo Escapes · And much more IBPA Benjamin Franklin Silver Award winner 2017!

The creator of the popular Web site Word-Detective.com sheds new light on the origins, etymologies, and evolution of 150 common words and phrases used to define romance and love, answering questions about such key words as flirtation, tryst, adultery, hanky-pankey, puppy love, flirt, chaperone, concupiscence, and many more.

As President Barack Obama outlined his promise for change during the presidential campaign, he made effective use of proverbs and proverbial phrases, and invented many quotable epithets that have all the makings of future proverbs. This book examines how Obama's natural and authentic reliance on traditional metaphors enhances his impressive rhetoric, rather than reducing it to mere sound bites. Proverbs, with their often colorful metaphors, add expressiveness and emotion to his communications, giving people the opportunity to follow his pragmatic or philosophical arguments through common language. No matter the subject, Obama's prose contains metaphorical language that makes his rhetoric and oratory universally accessible. This book contains detailed analyses of the proverbial rhetoric in Obama's books Dreams from My Father (1995) and The Audacity of Hope (2006). A section looks at his proverbial language in 229 speeches, news conferences, interviews, and radio addresses, and the final section presents in-depth studies of his seven most significant addresses. It includes a comprehensive contextualized index of 1714 proverbial texts found within the writings and speeches from Obama's political beginnings to his memorable inaugural address.