{"product_id":"9781681775852","title":"The Accidental Dictionary: The Remarkable Twists and Turns of English Words","description":"\u003cp\u003eBrimming with hidden histories and tantalizing twists, \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Dictionary\u003c\/em\u003e tells the extraordinary stories behind ordinary words.\u003c\/p\u003e Our everyday language is full of surprises; its origins are stranger than you might think. Any word might be knocked and buffeted, subjected to twists and turns, expansions and contractions, happy and unhappy accidents. There are intriguing tales behind even the most familiar terms, and they can say as much about the present as they do the past.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eBusking\u003c\/em\u003e, for instance, originally meant \u003cem\u003epiracy\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eGrin\u003c\/em\u003e meant to \u003cem\u003esnarl\u003c\/em\u003e. A \u003cem\u003ebimbo\u003c\/em\u003e was a \u003cem\u003eman\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003enice\u003c\/em\u003e meant \u003cem\u003eignorant\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eglamor\u003c\/em\u003e was \u003cem\u003emagic\u003c\/em\u003e, and a \u003cem\u003ecupboard\u003c\/em\u003e was a \u003cem\u003etable\u003c\/em\u003e. \u003cem\u003eBuxom\u003c\/em\u003e used to mean \u003cem\u003eobedient\u003c\/em\u003e; a \u003cem\u003ecloud\u003c\/em\u003e was a \u003cem\u003erock\u003c\/em\u003e; \u003cem\u003eraunchy\u003c\/em\u003e originally meant \u003cem\u003edirty\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Focusing on one hundred surprising threads in the evolution of English, \u003cem\u003eThe Accidental Dictionary\u003c\/em\u003e reveals the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today. It is a weird and wonderful journey into words.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e So, let's revel in its randomness and delight in its diversity—our dictionary is indeed accidental.","brand":"Pegasus Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47139760111856,"sku":"9781681775852","price":22.73,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781681775852_p0.jpg?v=1763694531","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781681775852","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}