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In her witty account of the origins of many English words and expressions, Deborah Warren educates as she entertains -- and entertain she does, leading her readers through the amazing labyrinthian history of related words. "Language," she writes, "is all about mutation."Read here about the first meanings of common words and phrases, including dessert, vodka, lunatic, tulip, dollar, bikini, peeping tom, peter out, and devil's advocate. A former Latin teacher, Warren is a gifted poet and a writer of great playfulness. Strange to Say is a cornucopia of joyful learning and laughter.Did you know ... Lord Cardigan was a British aristocrat and military man known for the sweater jackets he sported.A lying lawyer might pull the wool over a judge's eyes -- yank his wig down across his face.