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The Words of the Day
The Unlikely Evolution of Common English
Dr. Steven M. Cerutti PhD.
ISBN:
0-9761573-3-0
ISBN 13: 978-0976157335 |
Library of Congress
Number:
2005928017 |
| 222
pages - Perfect Bind 9x7 |
Publication Date -
January 2006 |
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Shelving: Reference/Language |
Pedagogue Series # 1 |
Retail Price $27.95
/ £19.95
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the retail price!
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The English language was largely
influenced by the ancient languages of the Romans and the
Greeks, and this entertaining and educational book shows the
amazing origins of words that we use everyday.
Let Dr. Cerutti show you how to
sharpen your word usage, sharpen the dull edge of your
vernacular, blunted over the years by hearing, reading and
speaking words that you have never truly understood.
Combining Dr. Cerutti's
authoritative command over the English language with uncanny
scholarship and his own unique wry wit, this book is a must-read
for anyone who has ever wondered about common word usage.
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* Learn the
amazing origins of profane words
* Understand
how words dramatically change meaning in just a few
centuries.
* Learn words to insult your enemies without their knowledge
* Make up words to say exactly what you mean
* Learn how words have come to mean the opposite of what
they actually mean
* Learn to insult your enemies without their knowledge
* Understand the real meaning of our numbers
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About the Author:
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Dr. Steven M. Cerutti |
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Dr. Steven M. Cerutti
has
a Ph.D. in Classics from Duke University and is an
internationally recognized expert on word origins.
Considered one of the world's leading authorities on
Classical literature, art, and architecture, Dr. Cerutti is
a professor of Classical Studies at East Carolina University
where his courses are consistently voted "most popular"
among the over 20,000 undergraduate student population.
Steve is also a private pilot and enjoys flying with his
wife, Chandra, who is an instructor of English Literature
and Composition at East Carolina University. Both Steve and
Chandra are classically trained pianists and enjoy
performing at informal faculty gatherings or formal
university functions. |
Dr. Steven M. Cerutti has been studying words for decades and specializes
in understanding the unlikely origins of English words and phrases.
With a genius for making word origins fun, Professor Cerutti
mesmerizes young minds with his exciting and shocking insights into
the roots of modern jargon.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Mixology: How words Work
Chapter 2: Word Power
Chapter 3: The “F” Word: Part One
Chapter 4: Vowel Movements
Chapter 5: Going Negative
Chapter 6: School Words
Chapter 7: The Body Eclectic
Chapter 8: Everybody Do the Wave
Chapter 9: True Lies
Chapter 10: Copping the “‘tude”
Chapter 11: Money, Money |
Chapter 12: Pornography: How To Know It When You See It
Chapter 13: The “F” Word Part 2
Chapter 14: It Was All Greek To Them (And Still Is)
Chapter 15: How Words Change
Chapter 16: Let’s Get Small
Chapter 17: The Ten Most Misused Words
Chapter 18: Anagrams and Stop Signs
Chapter 19: Big Hat, Small Heard
Chapter 20: Bringing It All Together |
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Reader comments and
news:
"Almost a year ago Dr. Cerutti received a
phone call from Don Burleson, whose son Andrew was in his class and
couldn't stop talking about it. Don Burleson is a publisher (Rampant
Press) and was very interested in codifying his class. "I was
blown away", said Cerutti."
"Cerutti's curriculum is thus entertaining in addition to being
educational. As such, his Classics 1300 was voted the university's
most popular class in a student poll taken by campus newspaper The
East Carolinian a few years ago."
"After class one day, his
office phone rang. It was the father of one of his students. "My son
can't stop talking about your class," the man said to Cerutti. "I
happen to run an independent publishing house. I would like to
codify your class into a book." From that conversation, Cerutti
received a contract to distill his Greek and Latin for Vocabulary
Building course into a book."
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A great book by a great man..., August 3, 2006
Being a former student of Dr. Cerutti's, I am a little
biased. But I took the class to which he refers in his text,
and it was even funnier than the book itself. I thoroughly
enjoyed this book, as did some of my colleagues who also
read it. I remember the day he wrote a big "FA" on the board
and then proceeded to lecture away, just as he did in the
chapter on "fa" and "pha". Overall, a very pleasant
adaptation of his class.
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Scholar? Comedian? BOTH!!, April 9, 2006
Cerutti's previous books have all been Greek to me but this
one was written in the universal language of humor, making
it accessible even to those of us who are not classicists!
This book will teach you about the origins of words and
expressions we use every day as well as Greek and Roman
mythology. Best of all, you'll laugh your [...] off through
the whole thing (and you'll probably blush a bit too).
Cerutti's WORDS is for anyone who is educated, who wants to
become educated, who wants to appear educated, or who wants
to laugh at others who think they're educated. I'm hoping
for a sequel!
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I loved this book!, March 19, 2006
I bought this book on a tip from a friend who said it helped
her hugely on the verbal portion of the GRE, plus she said
it was the funniest thing she had ever read. I am getting
ready to take the SAT so I read it and she was right! This
book makes understanding words not only easy, but fun, too!
The author is a great storyteller, and knowing the stories
behind the words helps you remember what they mean much
better than memorizing flashcards. This book actually makes
you feel smarter. I plan to read it again right before I
take the test! Wish me luck! But with Cerutti's Words of the
Day under my belt, I know I'll do fine.
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Homer meets Andrew Dice Clay, March 16, 2006
This book takes you on a roller-coaster ride through the
classical origins of the English language from page one!
Cerutti has a feel for Greek and Roman mythology that I've
never encountered before, and I was a classics major as an
undergrad! I learned more about the classical world from
reading this book than I did in college. And it's extremely
funny! Try "Homer meets Andrew Dice Clay!" I found myself
laughing out loud dozens of times. Chapter five, on the
sexual exploits of Apollo is worth the price of the book
alone. This book would make an excellent gift for anyone
with a healthy sense of humor and a keen interest in
words--even the "naughty" ones. This book rocks!
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Great and fun book!, March 11, 2006
I greatly enjoyed this book as an introduction to the
ancestry of English. It is a fun read and has some really
funny stories about word origins.
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Errata and Enhancements
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