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

Jones, Charlotte F.; O'Brien, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385325754 ISBN 13: 9780385325752

Publisher: Random House USA Children's Books, 1999

Synopsis

This informative book with colorful illustration provides middle readers with fun-filled facts on the origination of colorful food names, such as "hush puppies," and other amusing food related sayings, such as "spilling the beans."

About this title

Review

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; in the "Talking Turkey" section, the reader learns that the "cold shoulder" is really meat. John O'Brien's funny, pen-and-ink illustrations add just the right touch to this 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

About the Author

Charlotte Foltz Jones is the author of Mistakes That Worked, Accidents May Happen, and Fingerprints and Talking Bones.

About the illustrator:
John O'Brien is well known for his New Yorker cartoons as well as his numerous children's book credits, including Mistakes That Worked, Accidents May Happen, and Mother Hubbard's Christmas.

About this edition

• Publisher: Random House USA Children's Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0385325754
• ISBN 13: 9780385325752
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 96