Eat Your Words: A Fascinating Look at the Language of Food - Softcover

Why do we use the expression "selling like hotcakes"? Who put Melba in melba toast, and what the heck is a hush puppy? Charlotte Foltz Jones, author of the delightful, fact-filled books Mistakes That Worked and Accidents May Happen, applies her bloodhound-like research talents to the language of food in Eat Your Words. As she states in her introduction, "Because food is necessary to survival, our entire culture is based on it. It's in our laws, our money, our superstitions, our celebrations, and especially our language." She calls her book "a shopping list of curious food etymology, and a menu of the origins of funny-sounding food." Indeed. Readers will discover who the Stroganoff is in Beef Stroganoff and how a Caesar Salad has nothing to do with Julius Caesar. (Clearly if your child has only heard of peanut-butter sandwiches, these astonishing revelations won't be that exciting.) You'll also find "Great Moments in Candy History." (The Tootsie Roll has been around since 1896--and still isn't stale!) And, you'll discover where the names of foods like eggplant and coconut came from. One of our favorite sections is "Talking Turkey," where we learn that the "cold shoulder" is really meat. John O'Brien's funny, pen-and-ink illustrations add just the right touch to an already-whimsical potpourri of trivia. This book guarantees fascinating restaurant conversation for the rest of your life. ("Did you know that Caesar Salad had nothing to do with...?") (Ages 9 to 109) Karin Snelson

"An entertaining and informative presentation of all sorts of tidbits concerning the history and meaning of food-related words."
--Kirkus Reviews

"This is a great title for browsing, and youngsters will want to share these stories with their friends."--School Library Journal