I love books on words, and A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi: Words We Pinched from Other Languages, by Chloe Rhodes was one of the best of my recent reads. Many of the words included will be familiar, some will be new, and a few, you will learn, don't mean what we think they do ... at least not originally.

Our language is full of so many ways of saying things, and I enjoy finding the perfect word when I'm writing a letter, email, post, or short story. Which means, I love my thesaurus! There are many available, and mine is probably dated now, but I have been known to pick up Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus in Dictionary Form (edited by the Princeton Language Institute, Barbara Ann Kipfer, Ph.D., Head Lexicographer) and just browse!

Language is not static, it changes all the time, which means many people have many opinions on what words are 'proper' and so on. I could not pass up a book with such a great title as Bad English: a History of Linguistic Aggravation, by Ammon Shea! Did you know that OMG (then it was O.M. G.) was used as early as 1917? Or emoticons as early as 1887 (and possibly before)? My favorite chapter, though, was about words that were once frowned upon: use 'limb' never (gasp) leg. Use pantaloons, not pants. And "it's" ? well, that is just plan vulgar, use 'Tis! Although that came from 1767, I think I agree, I much prefer 'tis! :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog