Leather-flapper, they said in Old Norse, or rather 鈥渓ethrblaka鈥. That
dwindled to 鈥渂laka鈥, and, a few cultures and a few centuries later, to 鈥渂at鈥. If
you enjoy words and their etymology, try Paul West鈥檚 The Secret Lives of
Words for an eclectic collection. And, by the way, Archimedes yelled
鈥淗eureka鈥 when he leapt out of his bath. We lost the 鈥渉鈥 to the printer鈥檚 sloth.
Published by Harcourt, $24, ISBN 0151004668.
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