A Pleasury of Word and Phrase Origins

To the man or woman who knows its origin, each word presents a picture, no matter how ordinary it may appear. Illuminating the faded image of a time-hallowed word or phrase throws light on who we are and where we came from. What does indenting a paragraph have to do with teeth? What’s the origin of The cat’s got your tongue? Why do we call left-handers southpaws? You’ll find the answers in these pages, as best-selling language author Richard Lederer passionately and humorously explores the history and mystery of everyday language. Richard Lederer is the author of more than fifty books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current books, Richard Lederer’s Ultimate Book of Literary Trivia and So That’s What It Means! He is a founding co-host of A Way With Words broadcast on Public Radio. Dr. Lederer’s syndicated column, Lederer on Language, appears in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. He has been named International Punster of the Year and Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel winner. He lives in San Diego with his wife, Simone van Egeren.