Offers a whimsical study of the ways in which the unique attributes of the American character have shaped the American language, tracing the idiosyncratic evolution of American ...

Discusses the origins and meanings of culinary terms, food-related words used metaphorically, the symbolism of food language, and related words

Presents a compendium of stories, proverbs, jokes, and trivia, which includes television programs, famous people, inventions, and politics

A collection of the author's weekly columns "On language" from "The New York Times Magazine" sheds new light on verbal trends in the American language, the origins of common ...