Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons
Author | : Paul Anthony Jones |
Publisher | : Constable |
Total Pages | : 209 |
Release | : 2013-10-17 |
ISBN-10 | : 9781472109415 |
ISBN-13 | : 1472109414 |
Rating | : 4/5 (15 Downloads) |
Download or read book Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons written by Paul Anthony Jones and published by Constable. This book was released on 2013-10-17 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What do the following ten words all have in common - haggard, mews, codger, arouse, musket, poltroon, gorge, allure, pounce and turn-tail? All fairly familiar and straightforward words, after a little digging into their histories it turns out that all of them derive from falconry: the adjective haggard described an adult falcon captured from the wild; mews were the enclosures hawks were kept in whilst moulting; codger is thought to come from 'cadger', the member of a hunting party who carried the birds' perches, and so on. This, essentially, is what Ten Words is all about - the book collects together hundreds of the most intriguing, surprising and little known histories and etymologies of a whole host of English words. From ancient place names to unusual languages, and obscure professions to military slang, this is a fascinating treasure trove of linguistic facts.