Winged Words

Download or read book Winged Words written by Philip Howard and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1988 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Winged Words, Philip Howard, the Literary Editor of The Times of London, examines the incredible flood of new words and phrases that have entered the English language in the last decade. This is the fifth collection of Howard's articles on language and, as ever, he is informative, witty, and entertaining. In the first half of the book he considers words or new meainings that have appeared in the last few years, analyzing their usage and, when possible, explaining their derivation. In the second half, he discusses general matters such as the growth of new metaphors and modern proverbs, Janus words (words that have two, contradictory meanings; for instance, "cleave" can mean both "split apart" and "cling to"), and the "English vice" of repeating famous quotes. Whether skewering pompous medical jargon or offering insightful comments on slang, Philip Howard is always amusing and knowledgeable. Winged Words will delight wordsmiths and logophiles--and anyone else who loves language.