Word Watch: The Stories Behind the Words of Our Lives

By Anne H. Soukhanov

Book Overview

This collection of papers by eminent authors from Japan, the United States, Britain, Sweden, France, Spain, and Australia explores aspects of free trade, including Japan's trade surplus, perestroika in the West, and the scope for a regional Pacific trade bloc. It also provides a set of positive recommendations for trade policy.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0805035648
• ISBN13: 9780805035643
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
• Length: 429 Pages
• Weight: 1.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.4" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Words, words, words...

In this witty and informative volume, the former executive editor of the American Heritage Dictionary and writer of the "Word Watch" column in The Atlantic Monthly since 1986 generously shares her erudition with those of us who have not devoted our lives to the study of word origins. Soukhanov looks at 365 words, divided into 13 subject areas (including politics, law, science and technology, sports, advertising media, and food), that have entered our language since the 1980s. Each section is preceded by an essay exploring how that aspect of the culture has influenced our language. Entries provide detailed descriptions of when and how each word or phrase was first used and discuss its meanings and implications. The book ends with fascinating analyses of the many ways in which new words come into being, including the formation of compounds, borrowing from other languages, acronyms, euphemisms, and the creative use of prefixes and suffixes. Word-lovers of all ages will find this book a delight for both reference and casual browsing.