A page-a-day Calendar of Vanishing Vocabulary and
Folklore
I
think of my calendar as an annual review of a few forgotten
things that are worth remembering. On every page you'll find
such discarded but once common expressions as queer-cuffin
(a Justice of the Peace), bijoutry (jewelry),
lutherhood (wickedness, after Martin Luther),
coney-catch
(to swindle), snollygoster
(an unprincipled person or politician), oof (slang
for money), and puckfyst (thirsty). But the calendar
also offers a cornucopia of anecdotes about fascinating
people and historical vignettes from the past.
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Our British ancestors once celebrated different holidays
and seasons—from Christmas Revels and Beanfest Day (the
forerunner of the "company picnic") to the Blessing of
the Flour and Sweetening Saturday, when annual bathing
took place.
You'll come across many etymologies and quirks of the
English language, along with early travel
inconveniences, Samuel Johnson's rude awakening, and the
first crossword puzzle. Read about ridiculous American
liquor laws, unusual marriage customs, and the FBI's
100th birthday. Also included are thought-provoking
quotes from Edgar Allen Poe, William Shakespeare, and
Edward R. Murrow, a look at London's Underground, Mutiny
on the Bounty revisited, and odd lunar customs. Discover
the origin of the expression "Hobson's choice," the
writing of
H.M.S. Pinafore,
curious wedding customs, early weather forecasting,
Mozart's mysterious death, and why Richard III offered
his kingdom for a horse. Most pages are adorned with
vintage line-drawings.
Please contact the author (via the "Contact Me" button on
the Home page) if you are unable to find a copy.
Available from Pomegranate.
ISBN 978-0-7649-3820-7. |
