Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, & Spuds
Quinion, M. (2004). Ballyhoo, buckaroo, and spuds: ingenious tales of words and their origins. Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Books.
An entertaining and well-researched volume on word origins. Quinion is the proprietor of the World Wide Words website.
Cambridge Guide to English Usage
Peters, P. (2004). The Cambridge guide to English usage. Cambridge; New York, Cambridge University Press.
A British usage manual.
Dewdroppers, Waldoes, & Slackers
Ostler, R. (2003). Dewdroppers, waldos, and slackers: a decade-by-decade guide to the vanishing vocabulary of the twentieth century. Oxford; New York, Oxford University Press.
An entertaining look at neologisms of the 20th century.
Lover’s Tongue
Morton, M. S. (2003). The lover’s tongue: a merry romp through the language of love and sex. Toronto, Insomniac Press.
A look at the language of romance and sex.
Dictionary of Word & Phrase Origins (Morris)
Morris, W. and M. Morris (1962). Dictionary of word and phrase origins. New York, Harper & Row.
Once an excellent, popular press book, now quite outdated.
Copyright 1997-2009, by David Wilton
