Graeme Donald 
Words of a Feather — An Etymological Explanation of Astonishing Word Pairs 

In this quirky and humorous volume, Graeme Donald explores the fascinating links and curious connections between words. While at first these word pairs may appear to have very little in common, owing to years of linguistic shift, their origins can be traced back to the same root.In exploring these etymological twins, Words of a Feather reveals the oddities of the English language and the fascinating stories that have made our vocabulary so rich.The perfect gift for language lovers and history buffs alike, this beautiful book contains over 200 word pairs with a common ancestry.Is there any PRESTIGE in a STRAITJACKET? When does a CLIQUE become a CLICHÉ? And what has MORRIS DANCING to do with MAURITANIA? In this witty volume, Graeme Donald explores the intriguing links between words with a common origin. Did you know, for example that your attic is named after the Greek capital, or that a flamingo doing flamenco would be the height of vulgarity?Through humorous story-telling, Words of a Feather explores the connections between many other pairings, including:Albatross and Alcatraz Batman and Bastard Explode and Applaud Parrot and Wig Rhubarb and Barbarian Sardine and Sardonic Village and Villain Yoga and Conjugal

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Graeme Donald is the author of a number of books on the meaning and origins of words, and on scientific and historical misconceptions. He has written for many newspapers and had a column about word origins in the Today newspaper for over ten years.