Charles Earle Funk and Charles Earle Funk, Jr., 'Horse Feathers & Other Curious Words,' published by Harper Perennial, first published in 1958. This copy is the stated first Perennial Library edition published in 1986.
Horse Feathers & Other Curious Words is a 240 page softcover measuring 8" x 5 1/4". The book is in good condition, with some creases and rubbing to the cover, but inside, the pages are clean and the binding is tight.
Book Summary
Why is a common roadside weed known in some parts of the country as a joe-pye weed? Why is butterscoth so named? Or belladonna? How did the nuthatch get its name? Or that insect, the earwig? Why is a certain Southern food called a hushpuppy? How did it happen that the log supports in a fireplace became known as andirons, or, sometimes, firedogs? The origins of these words are discussed in this book together with those of more than six hundred other common terms like hallmark, kicksaw, polecat, sherry, talesman, torpedo, and zodiac.
