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Making Whoopee: Words of Love for Lovers of Words Hardcover – January 30, 2004

by Evan Morris (Author)
3.1 3.1 out of 5 stars 3 ratings
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"Romance is everything," said Gertrude Stein. And for those of us in love with words, the origins of love words have their own romance. So what is the etymology of the word romance? And for that matter, why is it that a kiss is a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh, and when two lovers woo they still say I love you?

With wry wit and a wealth of word lore, Evan Morris, aka the Word Detective, answers these questions and traces the often surprising origins and evolution of the language of love--from flirtation to happily ever after, with stops along the way to examine betrayal, tryst, adultery, and all the rest of that hanky-panky. Organized alphabetically, sprinkled with quotations from lovers throughout history, Making Whoopee is brimming with entertaining information, from terms of endearment to the terms of the settlement.

Readers will discover that when liaison first appeared in English it was as a cooking term (for egg yolks used to bind ingredients together); originally to flirt meant to snub (hardly the sort of behavior that would lead to a date!); before we had puppy love, the same phenomenon was known as calf love (in both cases the implication being that such affection was destined to fade as the critters grow up); before a hunk was an attractive man, it was slang for a large, slow, and stupid man; way back when, chaperone was the hood worn by a noblewoman, and only later did it take on the metaphorical meaning of one who "shelters" a young woman from the world; Milton was the first to use the term love-lorn; and concupiscence is just a fancy way of saying the hots.

Making Whoopee is a token of affection guaranteed to make even the most cynical suitor or skeptical sweetheart swoon.
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Algonquin Books
  4. Publication date
    January 30, 2004
  5. Dimensions
    5.75 x 1 x 7.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1565123506
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1565123502
  8. See all details
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The Amazon Book Review
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Although this slim volume is merely a list of words pertaining to love and their origins and meanings, Morris's (The Word Detective) beguiling prose may tempt readers to consume this lively concoction straight through from "Adonis" to "yen." Morris meticulously tracks each word's journey through time, which will leave readers with the sense that they are speaking history when they say "bride" or "darling," one of the oldest endearments in the English language. He also touches upon recently discarded rituals of courtship in his analysis of the words "spoon" and "neck," and comments on casual dating practices with his pithy summation of the phrase "hook up," arguing that it mirrors modern courtship by "collapsing the entire mating process into one tepid phrase." Present this informative title to any literary-minded lover, and they are sure to experience linguistic "ecstasy."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Evan Morris divides his time between a rambling old farmhouse in rural Ohio and an apartment in New York City. His syndicated column, "The Word Detective," is read all over the U.S. as well as in Mexico and Japan. The award-winning Word Detective web site receives over five thousand hits a week. Evan Morris is the author of The Book Lover's Guide to the Internet.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Algonquin Books; 1st edition (January 30, 2004)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1565123506
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1565123502
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.75 x 1 x 7.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.1 3.1 out of 5 stars 3 ratings

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Customer reviews

3.1 out of 5 stars
3.1 out of 5
3 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Richard
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Title...
Reviewed in the United States on December 23, 2009
Verified Purchase
Once again, I sing the praises of Evan Morris. Another great offering from the Word Detective! Check him out online[...]
One person found this helpful
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strider46
1.0 out of 5 stars NOPE
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2018
Verified Purchase
Not at all what I expected. I was looking for a book with creative words to use when writing romantic sex scenes. Useless. Don't know how the thing got published.
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Top reviews from other countries

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書斎
5.0 out of 5 stars 恋愛、性関係に関わる語を約400集めて語源・エピソードを解説した辞典
Reviewed in Japan on January 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
恋愛、男女関係に関わる語を約400集めてアルファベット順に並べ、その語源やエピソードを述べた辞典である。たとえば、boyfriend を引くと、語源の解説があって、次のような主旨の指摘がなされている。

boyfriend (最初はboy-friend)が一般に用いられるようになったのは19世紀後半で、その当時からlover の婉曲表現と解され、その解釈は今日まで続いている。boyfriendは性を区別しない機会均等な語で男性同士の恋愛の相手にも用いられる。

某英和辞典には「（女の側から見た）男の恋人, 彼氏, ボーイフレンド《◆通例性的な関係を含意する；単なる男友だちは a （male） friend ；cf. girlfriend》」と書いているが、男同士の同性愛[結婚]も認める社会になってきたので、（女の側から見た）という限定も検討の余地があろう。同じことはgirlfriendにも当てはまる。
暇なときにパラパラ見ると思わぬ発見が得られる書である。
One person found this helpful
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