“The Reverend Guppy’s Aquarium: From Joseph P. Frisbie to Roy Jacuzzi, How Everyday Items were Named for Extraordinary People”
By Philip Dodd; Gotham Books, 265 pages
Welcome to November! Goodness, where does the time go? Halloween is over, Christmas is looming (less than two months away — zoinks!), and 2014 is sporting a long, gray beard in preparation for its final exit. Life moves quickly; but rest assured, the “wonderful world of Dewey” series still has many fascinating stops to make. Of course I’m assuming that shining the spotlight on the Dewey Decimal classification system is as fascinating to you as it is to me. Well, no matter; let’s soldier on to the next call number category — the very international 400s.
We have reached the section where language rules, and rules of language rule. What do I mean by this? Visit the 400s, and you’ll find dictionaries, grammar guides, language-learning tools (such as Spanish, Russian, Chinese — even sign language), and an eclectic selection of titles devoted to the remarkable, sometimes wacky, English language. For example, are you fluent in English but still stymied about when to use “there” instead of “their” or “they’re?” Stop fretting — go to the 400s. Want to know what your Italian neighbor is saying each time he leans out his window and shouts “buona sera!” as you pull in your driveway after a long day at work? Go to the 400s. Curious how the saxophone got its name? Go to the 400s, and for this particular query, consider checking out this week’s book, “The Reverend Guppy’s Aquarium.”
There are numerous books that delve into the origins and meanings behind words and phrases. And many of these titles are dictionarylike in their presentation: alphabetical lists of words/phrases accompanied by illuminating yet brief explanations. “The Reverend Guppy’s Aquarium” is different, and here is what I like about it (besides its quirky title): the author deliberately focuses on a very selective list of words — 15 to be exact.