Book: Etymologicon

As you have probably guessed, I love word origins, a.k.a. etymologies. I've got all kinds of etymology books on my bookshelves, both physical and virtual, but THIS is my favorite of them all.

The Etymologicon: A Circular Stroll Through the Hidden Connections of the English Language by Mark Forsyth

It is laugh-out-loud hilarious, and it is also full of etymologies that I have ever heard before. In particular, there is an early chapter about the etymology of the English word pool, a word that has a wide range of meanings in English now, but which comes from a very precise French usage... which will have you rolling on the floor laughing  — well, I didn't actually roll on the floor because I was reading it in a doctor's office waiting room... but if I had been at home... who knows???! Here's a clue:

I do not have enough good things to say about this fabulous book! I know laugh every time I get an excuse to use the word "pool" ha ha.