Home › Etymology › Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins
  • Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins by Charles E. Funk book cover
  • Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins by Charles E. Funk book cover
1 2

Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins

by Charles E. Funk

Be the first to review this book

Everyday English, with its backstories restored

$18.51 USD
$28.93 USD $18.51 USD
Save 36%

Paperback New English

Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.
Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

Everyday English, with its backstories restored

Charles E. Funk gathers short explorations of how familiar English words and expressions acquired their meanings. Moving between idioms such as “mad as a wet hen” and terms including “corn dodger,” “hobgoblin,” “hearse,” and “dunce,” the book foregrounds the unexpected histories that standard dictionary entries often leave unexplained. Its subject is etymology in an accessible, anecdotal form: hundreds of linguistic detours, shifts in meaning, and surprising connections behind everyday vocabulary. The emphasis falls on the historical curiosities embedded in common speech and on the ways words can retain traces of very different earlier uses.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Fans of etymology and word-history collections
  • Browsers interested in English idioms and unusual vocabulary
  • Readers who enjoy bite-sized language anecdotes

Themes

EtymologyEnglish idiomsWord originsLanguage changeEveryday vocabulary

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

From "mad as a wet hen" to "corn dodger" and "hobgoblin," Charles Funk's collections of curious words and expressions are a treasure trove of word origin.

In a language where hearse and rehearse have the same root and the word dunce comes from a great philosopher, English has hundreds of everyday words that originated or acquired their meanings in unusual ways. Dictionaries don't have the space to tell us all the mysteries but now Dr. Funk, with humor and insight, tells us the strange and intriguing stories of hundreds of words and how they came to be a part of our language.

Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews

You may also like

View all