The Name's Familiar

A BOOK OF THE MONTH CLUB ALTERNATE SELECTION

A fascinating and entertaining read. If Jeopardy ever does 'The Name's Familiar' category, I'm ready. . . . Giddy-up
--Kenny Kramer, Real-life inspiration for Seinfeld's Kramer

By flipping through the pages of The Name's Familiar: Mr. Leotard, Barbie, and Chef Boyardee, one can read biographies of the real-life namesakes of James Bond, Charlie Brown, and Mother Goose, and explore the origins of phrases and terms such as guillotine, sandwich, and a real deusey. Now it is possible to find out who, exactly, sold seashells by the seashore, and who the Beatles had in mind when they sang about Eleanor Rigby.

Laura Lee's humorous investigation into the unfamiliar faces behind familiar names provides not only a wealth of fascinating trivia but also insight into how names can slip into our language and achieve a far greater notoriety than
the original bearers. Cars, buildings, diseases, and alcoholic beverages all have stories to tell about the words we know them by, as do cartoon characters, comets, cities, and even household products.

The idea for The Name's Familiar emerged from the former radio announcer's search for interesting and unusual questions for her show, Tuesday Trivia. Ms. Lee's research blossomed into a hobby of collecting facts and anecdotes about the origins of words, evolving finally into this fascinating reference for anyone interested in why we call things
what we do.

After reading this book and glimpsing the parade of lives and stories that are the colorful underpinnings of our modern language, the words you employ in everyday discourse will take on new meaning, and you will never be able to see them in the same way again.