Takes readers on an entertaining journey through the peculiarities, illogicalities and sheer charm of the English language, wandering down the language's idiosyncratic and surprising byways. Richard Watson Todd considers everything from erratic spelling to unexpected uses, where words have come from and how they have changed, and the myriad ways we use this flexible tongue. From onomatopoeia to clichés, politically correct language to Cockney rhyming slang, metaphors and oxymorons, here is a lighthearted and engaging view of a mother tongue.--From publisher description.