Odd and Interesting

Every month in the calendar year has holidays that encourage reading, and among October’s many is National Book Month. As Stephen King has noted, “Books are a uniquely portable magic.” Personally, I am magically drawn to books with odd titles, especially those designed for word nerds.

It should come as no surprise then that going to hell in a hen basket by Robert Alden Rubin has lately cast a spell on me. I had no idea how many hundreds of common expressions are commonly misunderstood. The correct expression is, of course, “going to hell in a handbasket” but exactly what a handbasket is remains unexplained. (Just any handy basket?)

Many misunderstood expressions are a result of English’s abundance of homophones -- words that sound the same but are spelled differently and have different meanings, like “bare witness” (not exactly courtroom appropriate) vs. “bear witness” (attest). Other examples:

• A poseable thumb (which a hand model presumably has) vs. opposable thumb
• Shot over the bough (tree branch) instead of shot over the bow (on a ship)
• Bullion cube (gold ingot) instead of bouillon cube (for soup)

A whole lot of other malapropisms fall into the “almost, but not quite” category:

• Dashboard stomach instead of washboard stomach (because who even remembers what washboards are?)
• Girdle your loins instead of gird your loins (I prefer Spandex anyway)
• Middrift instead of midriff (although mine does tend to drift)
• Pass mustard (it’s possible, but not usually what’s meant) vs. pass muster

Still others are just wrong, such as “clusterphobia” vs. “claustrophobia,” or “nip it in the butt” instead of “in the bud,” or “at lagerheads” instead of “at loggerheads.” (Loggerheads seems to be a part of a whaling ship. Lagerheads presumably just like beer.)

Overall, I’ve found the book entertaining, but sometimes confusing in its explanations.? For example, someone might “be knighted” by a king or “benighted” (in the dark figuratively or in reality), but “beknighted” is not a word. The author could have been clearer if he had simply said that.

If you wrote a book, what attention-grabbing title would you choose for it?

This post is an edited excerpt from yesterday’s e-newsletter, Wait Lifters – uplifting content for every kind of downtime.? If you enjoyed it, please share it.

Kathy Laurenhue, M.A, C.H.P., is the creator of Wiser Now, Inc., dedicated to fostering wellbeing in people of all ages through training and publications. Known for her practical and lighthearted approach, she is a prolific content provider to multiple clients.? Her website, CreatingDelight.com, is especially focused on creating fun and goodwill and her newly revamped? Caregiving website is focused on both givers and receivers. Reach her at [email protected].?