The Word at War - World War Two in 100 Phrases

War words have embedded themselves in our collective psyche; British politicians are fond of invoking the ''Dunkirk spirit'' whenever the country is faced with major crisis or even minor adversity, and Roosevelt''s famous description of Pearl Harbor as ''a date which will live in infamy'' was echoed by many US commentators after the 9/11 attacks. So far, so familiar. Or is it? How many of us know, for instance, that ''Keep Calm and Carry On'', far from achieving its morale-boosting aim, was considered at the time to be deeply patronizing by the people it was directed at, and so had only limited distribution? T Word at War explores 100 phrases spawned and popularized in the lead-up and during the conflict of World War Two. Substantial essays explore and explain the derivations of, and the stories behind, popular terms and phraseology of the period, including wartime speeches (and the words of Churchill, Hitler and FDR); service slang; national stereotypes; food and drink; and codewords.>

About the author

Philip Gooden, Peter Lewis

Product details

• Authors: Philip Gooden, Peter Lewis, Peter Gooden Lewis
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 30.07.2015
• EAN: 9781472922489
• ISBN: 978-1-4729-2248-9
• No. of pages: 256
• Subjects: Fiction > Gift books, albums, perpetual calendars, postcard booklets; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative linguistics; Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; European History, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Linguistics / Etymology, 20th century, c 1900 to c 1999, Second World War, United Kingdom, Great Britain, Language: history & general works, Historical & comparative linguistics, c 1940 to c 1949, Language: history and general works, Phraseology; War