Questions Of English by Jeremy Marshall and Fred McDonald

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Why is "f" used instead of "s" in old-fashioned writing and printing? What does "corned" mean in "corned beef?" How many words are there in the English language? Is the correct plu ral of "octopus" spelled "octopuses" or "octopi"? Since the Oxford Word and Language Service (OWLS, for short) was launched in 1983, it has been flooded with queries such as the above. The questions come from university professors, schoolchildren, word-game enthusiasts, translators, historians, and monks--from people who have come across obscure words in an old will or in an ancient recipe book, or who have had their curiosity piqued by one of the thousands of oddities attendant on our language. In Questions of English , Jeremy Marshall and Mrs. Fred McDonald have gathered some of the most curious and enlightening questions that OWLS has fielded, in a volume that will fascinate word lovers everywhere. Publisher: Oxford University Press Year: 1995 Binding: Paperback ISBN: 9780198692928 Condition: Very Good Note: This image is from a stock photo and may differ from the actual cover. Show more