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A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi" |
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A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi"
The Origin of Foreign Words Used in English
By Chloe Rhodes
Published by Reader's Digest
March 2010; $14.95US; 978-1-60652-057-4
Carpe Diem and Become a Word Connoisseur!
English is filled with a smorgasbord of foreign words and phrases that
have entered our language from many sources -- some from as far back
as the Celts. A Certain "Je Ne Sais Quoi," which tells the story of
how many of these expressions came to be commonly used in English,
will both amaze and amuse language lovers everywhere. You'll be
fascinated to learn, for instance, that . . .
* ketchup began life as a spicy pickled fish sauce called koechiap in
seventeenth-century China?
* honcho came from the Japanese world hancho, which means squad chief?
The world was brought to the United States something during the 1940s
by soldiers who had served in Japan.
* dungarees comes from the Hindi word dungri, the thick cotton cloth
used for sails and tents in India?
Organized alphabetically for easy reference, A Certain "Je Ne Sais
Quoi" tells the little-known origin of some of these thousands of
foreign words and phrases -- from aficionado to zeitgeist. Inside,
you'll find translations, definitions, origins, and lively
descriptions of each item's evolution into our everyday discourse.
With this whimsical little book, you'll be ready to throw out a
foreign word or phrase at your next party, lending your conversation
with, well, a certain je ne sais quoi.
Author Bio
Chloe Rhodes is a freelance journalist who has worked for The
Telegraph, Guardian and The Times as well as numerous other respected
publications. She lives in North London with her husband.
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