I've looked through word origin books that were dry and hard to read, but Dog Days and Dandelions is a delight. There are stories to be told about where words come from; this author knows how to choose them and how to tell them.

I visited amazon to find more of her books, but they are out of print. I hope either some of you readers will sell your used ones, or that more will be written or printed soon!

I had no idea there were blackbirds in my merlot nor horses in all my jaded, hackneyed, tacky everyday observations. What a treat of a book! Of course, not that I was surprised...all Barnette's prior offerings-- the charming Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies and A Garden of Words--are a must-have for writers and readers alike. Anyone who loves words will adore this treasure of a book. I've already learned more than I did in college! And I've just ordered it for three of my friends. Highly recommended.

Martha Barnette is the best. Few others can enliven dry and obsure facts and information like she can - all her books about words should be required reading for anyone with any aspiration of becoming a writer. And she serves up way more than fodder for cocktail chatter. After reading her, you'll find yourself thinking differently about all the words around you.Check out her website... for a preview.

I've never written one of these reviews, but I just had to stop by and say what a big kick I got out of Martha Barnette's clever book. I bought it because I love food and cooking, but after reading "Ladyfingers and Nun's Tummies", I also bought a copy to send to my sister, because she's one of those people who're crazy about words and their origins.

If you're like us, you'll learn a whole lot from this little book -- and enjoy a whole lot of laughs in the process!

I LOVED this book! The author has an amazing range of knowledge, both about the kitchen and about words, but what's truly wonderful is her terrific sense of humor, which makes learning all this stuff so much fun.

I mean, who knew that Tootsie Rolls were named after a little girl or that Twinkies were named after shoes? Or that German chocolate cake isn't really German and Swiss steak isn't really Swiss? Or that the Italians like to nibble a plum they call a "nun's thigh," while the Dutch like to chow down on a dish of string beans and navy beans with a picturesque name that translates: "bare buttocks in the grass"?

This is the perfect gift for the cook or food lover who has everything!

I enjoyed this romp through gastronomic etymology. But the publisher should have printed in a more readable type-face, included pictures of the foods discussed, and edited out some of the redundancies. Also, the footnotes are too small to read easily, and much too detailed. It runs between a scholarly work and a Martha Stuart Living magazine. But I look forward to anything else written by Barnette, and I will devour it as I did this book (so to speak)

This is one of the best word books I have ever seen. It's intelligent without being dry, and hilarious without being sophomoric. You can dip through it like selecting all the cream centers from a box of chocolates; or you can just start at the beginning and devour the whole thing in one hedonistic draught. "Nun's Tummies" is also featured on a killer Website,