I enjoy learning about the development of our language. It is interesting to understand how word and phrases originated. This book does a good job describing the original meanings of many phrases, and is quite interesting. The format it uses does not do justice to the subject, however. Alphabetized, individual entries work well in a dictionary when you know what you are looking for. When you are reading just for entertainment, it becomes dry very quickly. At for using this book as an academic resource, it has no index or resource to cross reference by theme or origin other than occasionally at the bottom of an entry.

This book is brimming with interesting information. I just wish I could find it. ( )

An interesting look at the history behind some words and phrases commonly used. It really made me wonder about other words and phrases I use in not only verbal communication but written as well. This is a book that is best consumed in small bites, a few passages here and there, not all at once. ( )

An interesting compilation of words and phrases that originated in the military but became commonly used in every day conversation at one point in time or another. Many of the true definitions of these words are a far cry from the way civilians use them, which in itself is quite interesting.

Jam packed with words it could be considered a dictionary, if it weren't for the lack of substantiating data, footnotes and the author's own admission that he abandoned some reference texts for "expert" opinion instead. Who are these experts and why weren't they given their due? Perhaps the full-release version will have them, as it most definitely should!

That said, this was still an entertaining read. I found the explanation on the true origins of the Amazons particularly interesting as it offered an entirely different, and plausible, explanation to the source of the name these legendary warriors had.

Anyone who has a love of history or a passion for word definitions should get a kick out of this book, even if the definitions can't be backed up by hard fact. The average Joe, however, might be bored to tears by it. Definitely a book geared for a certain reading audience, but aren't all books that way ultimately? ( )

Full of interesting tidbits of info. No biography or footnotes but still useful as a reference book. The explanations are quick and to the point. ( )

I like the premise of this book. I think it's an interesting idea and one that would attract word sleuths and grammar geeks like me, as well as some military buffs.

The author has written this reference book with great enthusiasm and I applaud that. I was underwhelmed, however, by this volume, and one sticking point bothered me. In the foreword, he talks about his research and how he sometimes "abandoned" reference texts in order to consult with experts in the field. All well and good, except that I find it hard to believe that "expert knowledge" is not documented somewhere, and annotations would have been nice. In the case of personal conversations, I would consider those notation-worthy as well, with the person's credentials cited. He goes on to explain a difference of opinion with the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) using the term "cold shoulder" as an example. I thought his example not only failed to prove his point, it rather made me doubt any other premise put forward in this book, if his logic is that faulty.

Call me a stick in the mud, but I cannot accept a reference work *as* a reference work when it offers no bibliography, no annotations, no footnotes. The stories were entertaining and as an anecdotal book of tales, it was fun to read. As a librarian, though, I definitely would not recommend it as a resource. ( )