杏吧原创

Leather-flapper, they said in Old Norse, or rather 鈥渓ethrblaka鈥�. That
dwindled to 鈥渂laka鈥�, and, a few cultures and a few centuries later, to 鈥渂at鈥�. If
you enjoy words and their etymology, try Paul West鈥檚 The Secret Lives of
Words for an eclectic collection. And, by the way, Archimedes yelled
鈥淗eureka鈥� when he leapt out of his bath. We lost the 鈥渉鈥� to the printer鈥檚 sloth.
Published by Harcourt, $24, ISBN 0151004668.