The Accidental Dictionary : The Remarkable Twists and Turns of English Words

How does a rock become a cloud? 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. Focuses on 100 surprising threads in the evolution of English to reveal the etymological origins and quirky developments that have led to the meanings we take for granted today.