It's a Wonderful Word

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Did you know that an <b>assassin</b> is a hashish-eater and a <b>yokel</b> a country woodpecker? That Dr Mesmer <b>mesmerised</b> patients back to health or that Samuel Pepys enjoyed a good game of <b>handicap</b>? While we're at it, what have <b>spondulics</b> to do with spines or lawyers with <b>avocados</b>? In <i>It's a Wonderful Word</i>, bestselling author Albert Jack collects over 500 of the strangest, funniest-sounding and most delightful words in the English language, and traces them back to their often puzzling origins. While brushing up on your <b>gibberish</b> or <b>gobbledygook</b>, discover why <b>bastards</b> should resent travelling salesmen, why sheets should remain on <b>tenterhooks</b> and why you should never set down a <b>tumbler</b> before finishing your drink. From <b>blotto</b> to <b>bamboozle</b> and from <b>claptrap</b> to <b>quango</b>, Albert Jack's addictive anecdotes bring the world's most colourful language to life and are guaranteed to surprise and entertain.