This up-to-date dictionary presents you with 2,100 entries including colorful words and phrases from television and movies, as well as the streets and campuses.
Last Words: Variations on a Theme in Cultural History by Karl S. Guthke Review
Whether Goethe actually cried "More light!"
on his deathbed, or whether Conrad Hilton checked out of this world
after uttering "Leave the shower curtain on the inside of the tub,"
last words, regardless of authenticity, have long captured the
imagination of Western society. In this playfully serious investigation
based on factual accounts, anecdotes, literary works, and films, Karl
Guthke explores the cultural importance of those words spoken at the
border between this world and the next. The exit lines of both famous
and ordinary people embody for us a sense of drama and truthfulness and
reveal much about our thoughts on living and dying. Why this interest
in last words? Presenting statements from such figures as Socrates,
Nathan Hale, Marie Antoinette, and Oscar Wilde ("I am dying as I have
lived, beyond my means"), Guthke examines our fascination in terms of
our need for closure, our desire for immortality, and our attraction to
the mystique of death scenes. The author considers both authentic and
invented final statements as he looks at the formation of symbols and
legends and their function in our culture. Last words, handed down from
generation to generation like cultural heirlooms, have a good chance of
surviving in our collective memory. They are shown to epitomize a life,
convey a sense of irony, or play to an audience, as in the case of the
assassinated Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa, who is said to have
died imploring journalists: "Don't let it end like this. Tell them I
said something." (press.princeton.edu).
Off the Cuff: What to Say at a Moment's Notice
Impromptu speaking requires both timing and tact. With practice,
spontaneity and the confidence the ability to make planned remarks seem
ad-libbed and conversational can be learned. This book is a
comprehensive approach to speaking for all occasions, and a guide to
knowing what to say, when to say it, and how to say it right. It will
teach you how to:
Say a few words whenever and wherever called upon.
Make your arguments clear, concise, and effective.
Add depth to any new product announcement.
Provide wisdom and comfort at a friend's funeral.
Craft original speeches and presentations.
Collect quotes that communicate volumes with just the right "few words."
Map out your communication through a fill-in-the-blank process.
Know how the colors you wear will influence an audience.
And much more.
Now it's time to learn how to do it easily, effectively, and fearlessly...in front of a group.
"English Words: History and Structure" by Robert Stockwell, Donka Minkova
The subject of this book is the origin of words in the English language, primarily those borrowed from the classical languages, namely Latin and Greek, either directly, or via French. A secondary theme is the internal structure of English words. Exercises to accompany each of the ten chapters are available to download from the web. The text is very accessible to all levels of reader; no knowledge of linguistics or linguistic terminology is assumed. For the reader unfamiliar with historical linguistics, or the influences which have shaped the English language, it will bring a new dimension to the understanding of the words that form the basis of our language. The once-baffling relationships between pronunciation, spelling, and meaning will become a source of enjoyment in themselves in the light of what can be learned from this book.
Our Picture Dictionary CD-ROMs make it fun and easy for your child to learn single words and images in five languages with correct accents. Each of our ten volumes contains 150 colorful images, and large-print vocabulary words spoken by a native speaker in English, Japanese, French, Spanish, and Italian. Each volume is completely interchangeable. You can begin your program with any volume and then move on to any other volume. You can show your child either the words or the pictures or both! Note that the words and images are designed for screen viewing only and are not printable.
