{"product_id":"9781418557935","title":"Casual Lex: An Informal Assemblage of Why We Say What We Say","description":"\u003cp\u003eAre you a lover of language?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwaken your passion for words, and savor the sheer deliciousness of the things people say!\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCasual Lex\u003c\/i\u003e holds the hidden pleasures found in our usage of words. This fresh edition of the classic \u003ci\u003eWhy You Say It\u003c\/i\u003e will turn you on to the fascinating, and often surprising?stories behind everyday words and phrases. Experience \u003ci\u003eCasual Lex\u003c\/i\u003e and discover:\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003eThe phrase \u003ci\u003ehell on wheels\u003c\/i\u003e comes from the early American practice of renting railway flatcars to create rolling casinos and brothels bound for the Wild West.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eGibberish\u003c\/i\u003e was the word coined by English villagers to describe the hard-to-understand dialects of certain bands of Gypsies.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003ci\u003eGymnasium\u003c\/i\u003e comes from the Greek word \u003ci\u003egymnos\u003c\/i\u003e, which means \"naked\"?Greek athletes trained and competed in the nude.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e \u003cp\u003eIf your joy of language has been aroused, then many more surprises await you. After all, even the most formal users of our language can benefit from a little \u003ci\u003eCasual \u003c\/i\u003eLex.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Nelson, Thomas, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47121938546928,"sku":"9781418557935","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781418557935_p0.jpg?v=1769898379","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781418557935","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}