Have you noticed speeches, books and/or articles that use the wrong word? Or where you think the wrong word has been used? It seems to be happening more and more. Siblings Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras thought so and started their research. That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means (the 150 Most Commonly Misused Words and Their Tangled Histories) is the result. This was a fun read! Some words I knew (and am using correctly), some words I did not recognize, and some (sadly) I did not know the proper definition. There are examples, right and wrong, for each entry as well as a bit of the etymology of the word. I wish my Mom was still around to read this book with me, she would have loved it!

If you haven't read enough on words, take a look at Vulgar Tongues: an Alternative History of English Slang, by Max Decharne. Dense and detailed, well researched and well written, there's a wonderful bibliography and index ... but in spite of the title I guess I was expecting fewer ... vulgar words! I browsed through a few pages, as I usually do when looking at a new book and was intrigued to learn things like 'nincompoop' was once a really nasty description of someone, or that 'groovy' was first seen in the 1940's as a word connected with jazz. I liked how the author traced words through time, and how who used them, and the meaning, changed. Still, it all got to be a bit much, so, to be honest, I did skim through some of the chapters.

I have several friends with chickens so just couldn't resist Art of the Chicken Coop: a Fun and Essential Guide to Housing Your Peeps, by Chris Gleason. Much like the cook books I've used in my blog, I loved the pictures and descriptions but skipped the instructions on how to make each coop. ;-) There is chicken trivia included as well, and that was a lot of fun. Did you know that the folds in a chef's hat indicate how many ways he/she can cook eggs?

Reading Hermit With Dog