Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins

An updated and expanded edition, The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, Third Edition contains definitions and origins of more than 12,500 words and expressions, making it the most comprehensive single-volume reference of its kind. Anecdotes and information on the development of a wide range of words, including slang, proverbs, animal and plant names, place names, nicknames, historical expressions, foreign language expressions, and phrases from literature, are included. The emphasis throughout is on words and expressions whose origins are not adequately explained, or not addressed at all, in standard dictionaries. With approximately 3,500 new entries, this appealing encyclopedia will engage word lovers and researchers alike.