{"product_id":"9780826356574","title":"Word Drops: A Sprinkling of Linguistic Curiosities","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom \u003cem\u003eaardvark\u003c\/em\u003e to \u003cem\u003ezenzizenzizenzic\u003c\/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eWord Drops\u003c\/em\u003e collects a thousand obscure words and language facts in one fascinating chain of word associations. Did you know, for example, that \u003cem\u003escandal\u003c\/em\u003e derives from the Latin for “stumbling block” and originally described a trap for a wild animal? In nineteenth-century slang a \u003cem\u003ewolf trap\u003c\/em\u003e was a corrupt casino. \u003cem\u003eCasino\u003c\/em\u003e means “little house” in Italian. \u003cem\u003eRoulette\u003c\/em\u003e means “little wheel” in French. A \u003cem\u003ewheeler\u003c\/em\u003e is someone who attends auctions to bid on items merely to increase their sale price. Such links take readers on an unexpected journey through linguistic oddities. Inspired by the popular @HaggardHawks Twitter account, \u003cem\u003eWord Drops\u003c\/em\u003e also uses an intriguing series of annotations to add background and historical context on everything from Anglo-Saxon cures for insanity to Samuel Pepys’s cure for a hangover. This unique book will delight anyone who loves language, etymology, and word games.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot for sale in the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, or Canada\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"University of New Mexico Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47129098715376,"sku":"9780826356574","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780826356574_p0.jpg?v=1763757651","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780826356574","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}