From “mad as a wet hen” to “corn dodger” and “hobgoblin,” Charles Funk’s collections of curious words and expressions are a treasure trove of word origin.

If you’ve ever wondered why the candy is called butterscotch; why a certain Southern food is called a hushpuppy; why log supports in a fireplace are known as andirons, or, sometimes, firedogs; you’ll be fascinated by the origins of the over 600 words discussed in “a book that gets curiouser and curiouser as it goes along”(San Francisco Chronicle).

Charles Earle Funk was editor in chief of the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary Series. He wrote several other books on word and phrase origins, including Horsefeathers, Heavens to Betsy!, and Thereby Hangs a Tale.