Morton S. Freeman
Created about a century ago, the term eponym generally refers to a word derived from a proper name.
This dictionary features the entertaining histories behind hundreds of eponyms, such as bowdlerize (from the censorious Thomas Bowdler), bikini from the atoll, and the Salisbury steak, a dish of hamburger and brown gravy named after James H. Salisbury, an English physician who promoted a diet of ground beef.
There are hundreds more - discover to whom we owe the terms hooker, sideburn, zeppelin, the cardigan sweater, pamphlet, robot and argyle socks.
Morton S. Freeman, a retired lawyer and formerly Director of Publications, American Law Institute-American Bar Association, is the author of many books, including, The Grammatical Lawyer, which was named book of the year by the American Society of Legal Writers, and The Word Watcher's Guide To Good Writing and Grammar. His column, "Word Watcher," appears in a number of newspapers, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, Buffalo News, and St. Louis Post Dispatch.
