Did you know that Batts may have had stout ancestors? That Dennes could be descended from swineherds? That Herons might come from thin men with long legs? How much do you know about the origin of your own surname? This fascinating dictionary covers the origin & meaning of over 16 000 surnames giving detailed information on early name-forms & how names have changed over the centuries. Alternative forms of names are cross-referenced to make it easy to find variants. Popular names such as Brown Clark & Smith are all covered alongside rarer names from Clapper to Cutterbuck Stocking to Twitchen. An authoritative introduction sets in context the popular topic of name-studies & guides the reader through the history of English surnames. The dictionary also

Includes:: an appendix in which the distinguished family historian Professor David Hey (author of the Oxford Companion to Local & Family History) gives advice on how to locate the home of a family name. He explains with examples how to discover the current distribution of a name in the UK & how to trace its origins. Quirky & interesting informative & accessible this is an excellent guide for anyone with an interest in English family names.

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Thoroughly revised & updated to include the latest research in the field A Dictionary of Environment & Conservation provides over 9 000 A to Z entries on scientific & social aspects of the environment-its key thinkers treaties movements organizations concepts & theories. Covering subjects such as sustainable development biodiversity & environmental ethics it is at the cutting edge of environmental & conservation studies. This is the ideal reference for students studying these subjects & anyone with an interest in environment & conservation. ...

This brand new edition celebrating 20 years of R. W. Holders popular & successful dictionary of euphemisms is packed full of traditional favourites such as Dutch uncle or push up the daisies as well as euphemisms from the contemporary world such as restructuring coffee-housing extrajudicial killing. Definitions include examples from real authors along with entertaining explanations of their origins. To prove that the use of euphemisms is not just a British speciality there is widespread coverage of American euphemisms too: for example English (pertaining to sexual deviance) & watermelon (an indication of pregnancy). The A-Z organization of the text is complemented by a thematic index with short introductory articles on fruitful areas of euphemistic language such as business sex death & the human body. This book remains the most lively & authoritative guide to the language of evasion hypocrisy prudery & deceit. ...

- What is an earthquake gown?
- Who wore eelskin masher trousers?
- What did the word dudes" mean in the 16th century?

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Whether any advantage or benefit will be drawn from the suspension
- or effective abolition
- of the rank of Field Marshal is

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The Dictionary of Food is the indispensable companion for everyone who loves reading about food or cooking it. We live in a globalised world & our tastes in food have widened dramatically in recent years. The Dictionary of Food reflects this huge cultural shift. With concise descriptions of dishes ingredients equipment & techniques it brings the worlds cuisines familiar & less familiar within our grasp... .so interesting that it only stayed on my desk very briefly before it was taken away...invaluable in anyones kitchen & particularly useful for professional chefs.
- Caroline Waldegrave Leiths School of Food & Wine
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Forensic scientists apply scientific analysis in a legal context & play a vital role in solving crimes. Sometimes the collection of forensic evidence is the only way to establish or exclude an association between suspect & victim or crime scene or to establish a likely order of events. Profiting from recent scientific developments & the advancement of technological equipment forensic science is a rapidly evolving discipline that encompasses many sciences & the law. This dictionary covers in over 1300 entries the key concepts within forensic science including a wide array of relevant specialist terms from areas such as chemistry biology anthropology art engineering firearms toolmarks trace evidence crime scene investigation case history biographies of investigators & criminals as well as forensic computing. Ranging from crime scene to fibers & fluorescence to RAM this new dictionary is the most up-to-date of its kind & is international in scope. Entry-level web links to online resources are listed & regularly updated on a companion website expanding the scope of the dictionary & pointing to more in-depth supplementary material. Many entries are complemented by case examples (Dr Crippen Mary Ann Cotton etc.) figures & photographs which makes this A to Z an ideal reference for students of forensic science as well as professionals & those with an interest in forensics. ...

Containing over 6 400 entries on all aspects of both human & physical geography this best-selling dictionary is the most comprehensive single-volume reference work of its kind. It

Includes:: coverage of cartography surveying meteorology climatology ecology population industry & development as well as up-to-date treatment of fast-changing topics such as plate tectonics remote sensing geographic information systems & aerial differentiation. For this new edition all existing entries have been fully revised & updated & there is now expanded coverage of economic geography (e.g. neo-liberalism) recent developments in geopolitics (e.g. 9/11 responses & the geographical implications of war on terror) & geography of finance (e.g. global production). It also focuses on the increasingly prominent areas of globalization & the anti-globalization movement landscape restoration the digital divide & issues of governance. Feature panels provide in-depth information on key areas such as the history of geography demographic transition & central place theory. Further reading has been added to many entries. This edition also contains recommended web links for many entries accessed & kept up to date via the Dictionary of Geography companion website. Loaded with clear concise & authoritative information this A-Z reference work is essential for all students & teachers of geography.

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This leading dictionary
- now in its fourth edition
- offers wide-ranging & authoritative coverage of the earth sciences & related

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With clear critical & constructive surveys of key terms by leading researchers in the field The Dictionary of Human Geography fifth edition remains the definitive guide to the concepts & debates in human geography. Comprehensively revised new edition of a highly successful text with over 300 key terms appearing for the first time Situates Human Geography within the humanities social sciences & sciences as a whole Written by leading experts in the field Major entries not only describe the development of concepts contributions & debates in Human Geography but also advance them Features a new consolidated bibliography along with a detailed index & systematic cross-referencing of headwords ...