Footnotes have been collected at the end of each chapter, and arelinked for ease of reference.
Minor errors, attributable to the printer, have been corrected. Pleasesee the transcriber’s note at the end of this textfor details regarding the handling of any textual issues encounteredduring its preparation.
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“How did such and such a country, city,town, street, river, natural curiosity, orworld-renowned edifice obtain its name?Whence arose a particular sobriquet, nickname,byword, epithet, or slang term?What was the origin of the thousand-and-onephrases and expressions engraftedupon our vocabulary which would appearto have no meaning whatever? Thesethings are worthy of investigation.”
Few words are necessary to introduce this work to the reader.It partakes of the nature of an encyclopædia, with the savingclause that the information it sets forth is confined to a plainstatement of facts. Verbal embellishments have been studiouslyavoided. Those who seek for additional intelligence may easilyobtain it from ordinarily available sources. To account for theorigin of popular phrases and names has been the author’s soledesign. To the best of his knowledge, no other work of the kindexists. From the stores of his own knowledge, acquired throughmany years of omnivorous reading, patient inquiry, and investigation,he has been enabled to bring together an Olla podridawhich should go far towards supplying a want.
The origin of place-names is interesting in that it opens up thehistory of peoples and the civilising influences, if so one mightterm it, of conquest. London street-names, in particular, conveyin one word to a person of antiquarian tastes as much meaningas “a volume of forgotten lore.” As to phrases and expressions,the author has made a special study of the subject. Agreat many Americanisms have been included, but as thenumber is daily increasing it would require a monthly publicationof such home-made phrases to keep fully abreast with thetimes. That nothing should be wanting in the way of exhaustiveness,it has been thought advisable to incorporate i