Port Out, Starboard Home
The Fascinating Stories We Tell About the words We Use
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- Publisher's listprice GBP 15.99
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7 639 Ft (7 275 Ft + 5% VAT)
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- Discount 20% (cc. 1 528 Ft off)
- Discounted price 6 111 Ft (5 820 Ft + 5% VAT)
- Discount is valid until: 31 March 2026
6 111 Ft
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Product details:
- Edition number New ed
- Publisher Penguin
- Date of Publication 28 February 2006
- ISBN 9780141012230
- Binding Paperback
- No. of pages304 pages
- Size 181x111x35 mm
- Weight 350 g
- Language English 0
Categories
Long description:
Can it really be true that 'golf' stands for 'Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden'? Or that 'rule of thumb' comes from an archaic legal principle that a man may chastise his wife, but only with a rod no thicker than his thumb?
These and hundreds of other stories are commonly told and retold whenever people meet. They grow up in part because expressions are often genuinely mysterious. Why, for example, are satisfying meals 'square' rather than any other shape? And how did anyone ever come up with the idea that if you're competent at something you can 'cut the mustard'?
Michael Quinion here retells many of the more bizarre tales, and explains their real origins where they're known. This is a fascinating treasure-trove of fiction and fact for anyone interested in language.