Word myths : debunking linguistic urban legends / David Wilton ; illustrated by Ivan Brunetti.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-218) and index.

Print version record.

Do you ""know"" that posh comes from an acronym meaning ""port out, starboard home""? That ""the whole nine yards"" comes from (pick one) the length of a WWII gunner's belt; the amount of fabric needed to make a kilt; a sarcastic football expression? That Chicago is called ""The Windy City"" because of the bloviating habits of its politicians, and not the breeze off the lake? If so, you need this book. 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.

Introduction. What is a linguistic urban legend? -- Where do they come from? -- How do they vary? -- Why do we tell them? -- How are they told? -- Who tells them? -- Are we being spoilsports? -- How do we ferret out the truth? -- Debunking the big boys . Ring around the Rosie -- Ok -- The whole nine yards -- Rule of thumb -- They speak Elizabethan English in the Appalachians -- 500 Eskimo words for snow -- Windy city -- Hot dog -- The Elizabethan e-mail hoax. Throw the baby out with the bathwater -- Raining cats and dogs -- Dirt poor -- Threshold -- Pease porridge -- Bring home the bacon -- Chew the fat -- Trencher / trench mouth -- Bed and board -- Upper crust -- Wake -- Graveyard shift -- Saved by the bell and dead ringer -- Posh, phat pommies. Ichthys -- Cabal -- AWOL -- Fuck -- News and tips -- Golf -- Spud -- Wog -- Nylon -- SOS -- Pommy -- Phat -- Posh -- Canoe. Devil to pay -- Let the cat out of the bag -- Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey -- Over a barrel -- Mind your Ps and Qs -- Under the weather -- Knock off -- Son of a gun -- Railroad origins : Balling the jack ; Balls to the wall -- Ethnic origins : Lynch ; Jazz ; America -- Hookers, harlots, and condoms. Hooker -- Harlot -- Condom -- Crap -- In like Flynn -- Real McCoy -- Dixie -- Upset -- Pumpernickel -- Ellis Island name changing -- The perils of political correctness. Picnic -- Nitty gritty -- Jimmies -- Indian / In Dios -- Indian giver -- Squaw -- Hip/hep -- Gay -- Faggot -- Handicap -- Politically correct -- Tinker's dream -- Wax tadpoles and jelly doughnuts. I am a jelly doughnut -- Chevy no go -- Bite the wax tadpole -- Turn it loose and fly naked -- Kangaroo -- Gringo.

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