Haggard Hawks and Paltry Poltroons

by Paul Anthony Jones

What do the words  haggard ,  mews ,  codger ,  arouse, musket, poltroon, gorge, allure, pounce  and  turn-tail have in common? The answer - they're all descended from falconry.Word origins guide Haggard Hawks & Paltry Poltroons collects together the remarkable histories of 500 English words and uniquely presents them in 50 sets of ten like this, linked together by some extraordinary etymological or linguistic quirk. From 10 Words Derived from Colors to 10 Words Invented by Shakespeare, here you'll find the connections between ampersands and alarm clocks , praline  and chauvinism , tuxedos and Texas ,  bidets and cavalries , and much, much more. Familiar words mingle with the unfamiliar and the downright bizarre, and each word is dealt with in accessible yet informative detail, over offering a fascinating insight into all corners and eccentricities of the English language. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Linguistics

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 17, 2013

Reviews

[Kitty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful.

[Billie O'Dwyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you're a fan of etymology, this might be your thing. But then again it might not. It's a very surface level dive into the origins of various words. Some are quite interesting, but a lot aren't. Ultimately it feels like reading a dictionary, and I couldn't get into it at all.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

utterly entertaining

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots about where words came from, separated into chapters of 10 examples. Quite interesting!

[Tammy J Rizzo]

A very interesting read!

I knew of several of the words expounded on in this book, but most of the entries were brand new to me. As a lover of words, I found this book quite entertaining and informative. If you like words and their histories, you'll enjoy this book. It's very British, so don't be confused.

[Brian Faucher · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved reading the weird origins of strange words, can't wait to read his other books!