Port Out, Starboard Home

The Fascinating Stories We Tell About the words We Use

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Humour & Comedy, Jokes & Riddles, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Linguistics
Cover of the book Port Out, Starboard Home by Michael Quinion, Penguin Books Ltd
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Author: Michael Quinion ISBN: 9780141909042
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd Publication: September 1, 2005
Imprint: Penguin Language: English
Author: Michael Quinion
ISBN: 9780141909042
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Publication: September 1, 2005
Imprint: Penguin
Language: English

Can it really be true that 'golf' stands for 'Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden'? Or that 'rule of thumb' comes from an archaic legal principle that a man may chastise his wife, but only with a rod no thicker than his thumb?

These and hundreds of other stories are commonly told and retold whenever people meet. They grow up in part because expressions are often genuinely mysterious. Why, for example, are satisfying meals 'square' rather than any other shape? And how did anyone ever come up with the idea that if you're competent at something you can 'cut the mustard'?

Michael Quinion here retells many of the more bizarre tales, and explains their real origins where they're known. This is a fascinating treasure-trove of fiction and fact for anyone interested in language.

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Can it really be true that 'golf' stands for 'Gentlemen Only Ladies Forbidden'? Or that 'rule of thumb' comes from an archaic legal principle that a man may chastise his wife, but only with a rod no thicker than his thumb?

These and hundreds of other stories are commonly told and retold whenever people meet. They grow up in part because expressions are often genuinely mysterious. Why, for example, are satisfying meals 'square' rather than any other shape? And how did anyone ever come up with the idea that if you're competent at something you can 'cut the mustard'?

Michael Quinion here retells many of the more bizarre tales, and explains their real origins where they're known. This is a fascinating treasure-trove of fiction and fact for anyone interested in language.

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