Book Description

Updated and expanded, The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Third Edition features definitions and origins of more than 12,500 words and expressions, making it the most comprehensive single-volume reference of its kind. This collection traces the development of slang words, proverbs, animal and plant names, place-names, nicknames, historical expressions, foreign-language expressions, and phrases from literature. With approximately 3,500 new entries, ranging from "Axis of Evil" to "Zoot Suit Riots," this comprehensive and authoritative encyclopedia engages word lovers and researchers and serves as an invaluable reference tool for all students of language and literature.