Book picks similar to
Spellbound: The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling by James Essinger
non-fiction
language
history
nonfiction
The Southern Slow Cooker Bible: 365 Easy and Delicious Down-Home Recipes
Tammy Algood - 2014
And while those days are often the busiest, your slow cooker is ready to do nearly all the work for you! Tammy Algood’s The Southern Slow Cooker Bible serves up 365 recipes, covering a year’s worth of dishes that let you effortlessly pair the flavors of the South with the convenience of slow cooking. Algood covers all the favorites—from whole chapters devoted to Southern mainstays such as grits, macaroni and cheese, stuffed peppers, and pulled pork, you’ll find yourself returning to this collection over and over again. Learn what every good Southern cook knows—that the proper cooking technique can yield positively succulent results for just about any cut of meat. Algood’s Barbecued Roast Beef Sandwiches are evidence enough of that. Discover desserts that will have you sharing the recipe with anyone lucky enough to try the mouthwatering Is It Done Yet Peach Cobbler. Have a crowd to feed for breakfast? Be sure to include Late Brunch Hash Brown Casserole on the Menu… the Maple Sausage and Cheese Strata too! Keep going, and your oven will be jealous! This collection shows you how easy it can be to savor the flavors of those classic Southern recipes your whole family has long adored. Discover new ways to do Chicken and Dumplings or Squash Casserole, and enjoy the extra time you gain by making Andouille Sausage Gumbo the easy way. If you’re looking for a moist and delicious dessert with a kick of Southern charm, the Sorghum Spiced Spoon Cake is the perfect pick. Need a knockout side dish to round out your next cookout? What could possibly be more Southern than Macaroni and Pimiento Cheese? No matter where you start, The Southern Slow Cooker Bible will keep you eager to work your way through the entire mouthwatering collection.
Anonyponymous: The Forgotten People Behind Everyday Words
John Bemelmans Marciano - 2009
Eponymous, adj. Giving one's name to a person, place, or thing.Anonymous, adj. Anonymous.Anonyponymous, adj. Anonymous and eponymous.The Earl of Sandwich, fond of salted beef and paired slices of toast, found a novel way to eat them all together. Etienne de Silhouette, a former French finance minister, was so notoriously cheap that his name became a byword for chintzy practices—such as substituting a darkened outline for a proper painted portrait. Both bequeathed their names to the language, but neither man is remembered.In this clever and funny book, John Bemelmans Marciano illuminates the lives of these anonyponymous persons. A kind of encyclopedia of linguistic biographies, the book is arranged alphabetically, giving the stories of everyone from Abu "algorithm" Al-Khwarizmi to Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin. Along with them you'll find the likes of Harry Shrapnel, Joseph-Ignace Guillotine, and many other people whose vernacular legacies have long outlived their memory.Accented by amusing line portraits and short etymological essays on subjects like "superhero eponyms," Anonyponymous is both a compendium of trivia and a window into the fascinating world of etymology. Carefully curated and unfailingly witty, this book is both a fantastic gift for language lovers and a true pleasure to read.
Word Myths: Debunking Linguistic Urban Legends
David Wilton - 2004
David Wilton debunks the most persistently wrong word histories, and gives, to the best of our actual knowledge, the real stories behind these perennially mis-etymologized words. In addition, he explains why these wrong stories are created, disseminated, and persist, even after being corrected time and time again. What makes us cling to these stories, when the truth behind these words and phrases is available, for the most part, at any library or on the Internet? Arranged by chapters, this book avoids a dry A-Z format. Chapters separate misetymologies by kind, including The Perils of Political Correctness (picnics have nothing to do with lynchings), Posh, Phat Pommies (the problems of bacronyming--the desire to make every word into an acronym), and CANOE (which stands for the Conspiracy to Attribute Nautical Origins to Everything). Word Myths corrects long-held and far-flung examples of wrong etymologies, without taking the fun out of etymology itself. It's the best of both worlds: not only do you learn the many wrong stories behind these words, you also learn why and how they are created--and what the real story is.
Let's Bring Back: The Lost Language Edition: A Collection of Forgotten-Yet-Delightful Words, Phrases, Praises, Insults, Idioms, and Literary Flourishes from Eras Past
Lesley M.M. Blume - 2013
Lesley M. M. Blume gathers forgotten words, phrases, names, insults, and idioms, plus fascinating and funny anecdotes, etymologies, and occasions for use. Let's Bring Back: The Lost Language Edition takes readers on a philological journey through words from the not-too-distant past. From all-overish to zounds, the vintage vernacular collected here will make any reader the cat's meow among friends, relations, and acquaintances.
This Is a Book About the Kids in the Hall
John Semley - 2016
John Semley’s thoroughly researched book is rich with interviews with Dave Foley, Mark McKinney, Bruce McCulloch, Kevin McDonald, and Scott Thompson, as well as Lorne Michaels and comedians speaking to the Kids’ legacy: Janeane Garofalo, Tim Heidecker, Nathan Fielder, and others. It also turns a critic’s eye on that legacy, making a strong case for the massive influence the Kids have exerted, both on alternative comedy and on pop culture more broadly.The Kids in the Hall were like a band: a group of weirdoes brought together, united by a common sensibility. And, much like a band, they’re always better when they’re together. This is a book about friendship, collaboration, and comedy — and about clashing egos, lost opportunities, and one-upmanship. This is a book about the head-crushing, cross-dressing, inimitable Kids in the Hall.
Letter Perfect: The Marvelous History of Our Alphabet From A to Z
David Sacks - 2003
Clearly explaining the letters as symbols of precise sounds of speech, the book begins with the earliest known alphabetic inscriptions (circa 1800 b.c.), recently discovered by archaeologists in Egypt, and traces the history of our alphabet through the ancient Phoenicians, Greeks, and Romans and up through medieval Europe to the present day. But the heart of the book is the twenty-six fact-filled “biographies” of letters A through Z, each one identifying the letter’s particular significance for modern readers, tracing its development from ancient forms, and discussing its noteworthy role in literature and other media. We learn, for example, why letter X may have a sinister and sexual aura, how B came to signify second best, why the word mother in many languages starts with M. Combining facts both odd and essential, Letter Perfect is cultural history at its most accessible and enjoyable.
Accidence Will Happen: A Recovering Pedant's Guide to English Language and Style
Oliver Kamm - 2015
Yet, as Oliver Kamm cleverly demonstrates in this new book, many of the purists' prohibitions are bogus and can be cheerfully disregarded. Accidence Will Happen is an authoritative and deeply reassuring guide to grammar, style, and the linguistic conundrums we all face.
Righting the Mother Tongue: From Olde English to Email, the Tangled Story of English Spelling
David Wolman - 2008
In Righting the Mother Tongue, the author of A Left-Hand Turn Around the World brings us the tangled story of English Spelling, from Olde English to email. Utterly captivating, deliciously edifying, and extremely witty, Righting the Mother Tongue is a treat for the language lover—a book that belongs in every personal library, right next to Eats, Shoots, and Leaves, and the works of Bill Bryson and Simon Winchester.
Around the World in 80 Words: A Journey Through the English Language
Paul Anthony Jones - 2018
You’ll also find out what the Philippines have given to your office in-tray; what an island with more bears than people has given to your liquor cabinet; and how a tiny hamlet in Nottinghamshire became Gotham City.
Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing
Melissa Mohr - 2013
With humor and insight, Melissa Mohr takes readers on a journey to discover how "swearing" has come to include both testifying with your hand on the Bible and calling someone a *#$&!* when they cut you off on the highway. She explores obscenities in ancient Rome and unearths the history of religious oaths in the Middle Ages, when swearing (or not swearing) an oath was often a matter of life and death. Holy Sh*t also explains the advancement of civility and corresponding censorship of language in the 18th century, considers the rise of racial slurs after World War II, examines the physiological effects of swearing and answers a question that preoccupies the FCC, the US Senate, and anyone who has recently overheard little kids at a playground: are we swearing more now than people did in the past?A gem of lexicography and cultural history, Holy Sh*t is a serious exploration of obscenity.
Word Freak: Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players
Stefan Fatsis - 2001
But for every group of "living-room players" there is someone who is "at one with the board." In Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis introduces readers to those few, exploring the underground world of colorful characters for which the Scrabble game is life — playing competitively in tournaments across the country. It is also the story of how the Scrabble game was invented by an unemployed architect during the Great Depression and how it has grown into the hugely successful, challenging, and beloved game it is today. Along the way, Fatsis chronicles his own obsession with the game and his development as a player from novice to expert. More than a book about hardcore Scrabble players, Word Freak is also an examination of notions of brilliance, memory, language, competition, and the mind that celebrates the uncanny creative powers in us all.
The Low-FODMAP Cookbook: 100 Delicious, Gut-Friendly Recipes for Digestive Disorders including IBS, Crohn's, and Colitis
Dianne Benjamin - 2016
Once these carbohydrates reach the large intestine, they cause many uncomfortable symptoms such as gas, bloating, and pain. The forbidden list of foods is extensive, but The Low-FODMAP Cookbook combines both taste and nutrition to create delightful recipes. The book includes a low-FODMAP eating plan that explains in detail which foods are not allowed and why. These recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks are so simple and delicious, they'll appeal to the whole family!
Thai Slow Cooker Cookbook
Rockridge Press - 2015
• Why slow cook? Slow cooking consolidates steps, takes out the guesswork and infuses dishes with flavor—no need to wait a day or two for the dish to rest. • Got the goods? Stock your pantry the Thai way with a list of essential ingredients and shopping tips for hard-to-find ingredients. • Short on time? All the slow cooker recipes in this book prep in 20 minutes or less. • Craving Thai sides? Supplement your slow-cooked meals with recipes for classic Thai sides, like papaya salad, chicken satay, and curry puffs. • Dietary restrictions? With a mix of dishes great for omnivores and vegetarians alike, labels also indicate if a recipe is soy-free and/or nut-free. Today’s busy world can make getting a healthy and satisfying meal on the table a challenge. Skip the wait for takeout and come home to wholesome Thai food, cooked by you, for you. Recipes include: Curried Kabocha Coconut Soup, Thai Sticky Wings, Massaman Sweet Potato and Tofu Curry, Chicken Red Curry, and Sweet Pork
How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One
Stanley Fish - 2011
Drawing on a wide range of great writers, from Philip Roth to Antonin Scalia to Jane Austen, How to Write a Sentence is much more than a writing manual—it is a spirited love letter to the written word, and a key to understanding how great writing works.
Salted: A Manifesto on the World's Most Essential Mineral, with Recipes
Mark Bitterman - 2010
Mark Bitterman is a man truly possessed by salt. As “selmelier” at The Meadow, the internationally recognized artisan-product boutique, Bitterman explains the promise and allure of salt to thousands of visitors from across the country who flock to his showstopping collection. “Salt can be a revelation,” he urges, “no food is more potent, more nutritionally essential, more universal, or more ancient. No other food displays salt’s crystalline beauty, is as varied, or as storied.” In Salted, Bitterman traces the mineral’s history, from humankind’s first salty bite to its use in modern industry to the resurgent interest in artisan salts. Featuring more than 50 recipes that showcase this versatile and marvelous ingredient, Salted also includes a field guide to artisan salts profiling 80 varieties and exploring their dazzling characters, unique stories, production methods, and uses in cooking; plus a quick-reference guide covering over 150 salts. Salting is one of the more ingrained habits in cooking, and according to Bitterman, all habits need to be questioned. He challenges you to think creatively about salting, promising that by understanding and mastering the principles behind it—and becoming familiar with the primary types of artisanal salts available—you will be better equipped to get the best results for your individual cooking style and personal taste. Whether he’s detailing the glistening staccato crunch of fleur de sel harvested from millennia-old Celtic saltmaking settlements in France or the brooding sizzle of forgotten rock salts transported by the Tauregs across the Sahara, Bitterman’s mission is to encourage us to explore the dazzling world of salt beyond the iodized curtain.Winner – 2011 James Beard Cookbook Award – Reference & Scholarship Category