Caroline Taggart

New Words for Old

Recycling Our Language for the Modern World

Price: £9.99

Select a format:

Select a retailer:

Details

Imprint: O'Mara Books

Publication date: 05/11/2015

ISBN: 9781782434726

Subject: Non-Fiction

Category: Language

Binding: Hardback

Size: Other

Extent: 192 pages

Territorial Rights: World (All Languages)

Edition Status: Out of Print

Trade

Effortlessly manage bulk orders with us, simply enquire for pricing and detailed information. Our team is ready to ensure a smooth process for you.

Enquire now

Summary:

The English language is a versatile and agile thing, and as our world changes, so too does the way we use it. Sometimes we coin new words for new creations, but very often we adopt and adapt existing words to suit new purposes, or simply put two together to form a third.

New Words for Old looks at the story behind some of the words we use every day and how their meanings have changed over time. From technology and fashion to politics and music, our language displays centuries of imagination and creativity, so often overlooked.

Tracing the development of green from the days when it was just a colour, web when it was something spiders made and trolls when they were nothing more threatening than the baddies in fairy tales, this is a fascinating tour through the history of the words we use every day and demonstrates just how wide we cast the net when trying to describe something new.

Reviews:

pleasantly diverting

The Guardian

friendly, yet informative... this book will certainly start many a discussion among friends

Best of British Magazine

fascinating... perfect for anyone obsessed with word play

Yours Magazine

fascinating and enlightening... a compelling compendium of extraordinary etymological delights

Lancashire Evening post

this author knows her bulbs – sorry, onions

The Bookbag

Taggart’s book is on a subject close to our hearts, and had a fair bit to teach us about word origins

Interesting Lit Blog

an enjoyable and very illuminating forage through the English language and its quirks

The Baedekerraids Blog, Jamie Manners

Sales points:

  • An exploration of how we adapt and adopt words in the English language to suit our changing needs

  • Featuring terms from the wonderfully wordy worlds of science, technology, entertainment and fashion, and a whole host of portmanteaus from every field

  • From bestselling author Caroline Taggart, whose books have sold over 850,000 copies

  • Taggart's bestselling Michael O'Mara titles include the Sunday Times bestseller I Used to Know That (over 320,000 copies sold), My Grammar and I (over 347,000 copies sold) and An Apple A Day (70,000 copies sold).

About the Author:

Caroline Taggart

Caroline Taggart worked in publishing as an editor of popular non-fiction for thirty years before being asked by Michael O'Mara Books to write I Used to Know That, which became a Sunday Times bestseller. Following that she was co-author of My Grammar and I (or should that be 'Me'?), and wrote a number of other books about words and English usage. She has appeared frequently on television and on national and regional radio, talking about language, grammar and whether or not Druids Cross should have an apostrophe. Her website is carolinetaggart.co.uk and you can follow her on Twitter @citaggart.

Related titles

O'Mara Books

500 Words You Should Know

O'Mara Books

The Language of London