{"title":"Henry Hitchings","description":"\u003cp\u003eDelve into the insightful world of Henry Hitchings, offering compelling explorations of language, culture, and history. A must-read for those who appreciate intelligent prose and thought-provoking perspectives. Browse his works now.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"secret-life-of-words-book-henry-hitchings-9780719564543","title":"The Secret Life of Words","description":"Communication is essential to our lives, but how often do we stop to think about where the words we use have come from? Have you ever thought about which words in English have been borrowed from Arabic, French or Dutch? Try admiral, landscape and marmalade just for starters. The Secret Life of Words is a wide-ranging account not only of the history of English, but also of how words witness history, reflect social change and remind us of our turbulent past. 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The English and Their Manners","description":"Most of us know a bit about what passes for good manners - holding doors open, sending thank-you notes, no elbows on the table. We certainly know bad manners when we see them. But where has this patchwork of beliefs and behaviours come from? How did manners develop? How do they change? And why do they matter so much to us? In examining our manners, Henry Hitchings delves into the English character and investigates our notions of Englishness.  Sorry! presents an amusing, illuminating and quirky audit of English manners. From basic table manners to appropriate sexual conduct, via hospitality, chivalry, faux pas and online etiquette, Hitchings traces the history of our country's customs and courtesies.   Putting under the microscope some of our most astute observers of humanity, including Jane Austen and Samuel Pepys, he uses their lives and writings to pry open the often downright peculiar secrets of the English character. 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The name comes from the old French word \u003ci\u003ecrevice\u003c\/i\u003e, through the Old German \u003ci\u003ecrebiz\u003c\/i\u003e and the modern French \u003ci\u003eecrevisse\u003c\/i\u003e. The \"fish\" part is just the result of a mishearing.\"\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Secret Life of Words\u003c\/i\u003e is a wide-ranging chronicle of how words witness history, reflect social change, and remind us of our past.hey were originally grown in Italy and imported, and the northern Europeans named them to distinguish them from the native hazelnut.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e * A crayfish is not a fish. The name comes from the old French word \u003ci\u003ecrevice\u003c\/i\u003e, through the Old German \u003ci\u003ecrebiz\u003c\/i\u003e and the modern French \u003ci\u003eecrevisse\u003c\/i\u003e. 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