Ever wondered who ‘the Joneses' were? Or what the original ‘peeping Tom' got up to? We all know that there was a ballerina named Pavlova and an earl named Sandwich, but there was also a Baron Lamington and a Queen Margarita, a Mr Booze and a Captain Fudge. Laszlo Biro invented the biro, Jules Leotard wore the first leotard, Charles Boycott endured the first boycott and Lord Cardigan loved a good cardigan. There really was a maverick named Maverick and a chauvinist named Chauvin. From literature we have The Illiad, which features a bully named ‘Hector' and a wise teacher named ‘Mentor'. From history we have Vandals, who were a destructive tribe, and the Zealots, who were an intolerant sect. Eager for more original and entertaining trivia to impress your friends? Eamon Evans' humorous collection of common eponyms shares the stories behind words and phrases popular throughout the world. Insightful, witty and … mostly accurate.
