"An entertaining and informative book about the fashion and fads of language "Today's 18-year-olds may not know who Mrs. Robinson is, where the term "stuck in a groove" comes from, why 1984 was a year unlike any other, how big a bread box is, how to get to Peyton Place, or what the term Watergate refers to. "I Love It When You Talk Retro "discusses these verbal fossils that remain embedded in our national conversation long after the topic they refer to has galloped off into the sunset. That could be a person (Mrs. Robinson ...
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"An entertaining and informative book about the fashion and fads of language "Today's 18-year-olds may not know who Mrs. Robinson is, where the term "stuck in a groove" comes from, why 1984 was a year unlike any other, how big a bread box is, how to get to Peyton Place, or what the term Watergate refers to. "I Love It When You Talk Retro "discusses these verbal fossils that remain embedded in our national conversation long after the topic they refer to has galloped off into the sunset. That could be a person (Mrs. Robinson), product (Edsel), past bestseller ("Catch-22"), radio or TV show (Gangbusters), comic strip ("Alphonse and Gaston"), or advertisement (Where's the beef?) long forgotten. Such "retroterms "are words or phrases in current use whose origins lie in our past. Ralph Keyes takes us on an illuminating and engaging tour through the phenomenon that is Retrotalk--a journey, oftentimes along the timelines of American history and the faultlines of culture, that will add to the word-lover's store of trivia and obscure references. "The phrase "drinking the Kool-Aid" is a mystery to young people today, as is "45rpm." Even older folks don't know the origins of "raked over the coals" and "cut to the chase." Keyes ("The Quote""Verifier") uses his skill as a sleuth of sources to track what he calls "retrotalk" "a slippery slope of puzzling allusions to past phenomena." He surveys the origins of "verbal fossils" from commercials (Kodak moment), jurisprudence (Twinkie defense), movies (pod people), cartoons (Caspar Milquetoast) and literature (brave new world). Some pop permutations percolated over decades: Radio's "Take It or Leave It" spawned a catch phrase so popular the program was retitled "The $64 Question" and later returned as TV's "The $64,000 Question." Keyes's own book "Is There Life After High School?" became both a Broadway musical and a catch phrase. Some entries are self-evident or have speculative origins, but Keyes's nonacademic style and probing research make this both an entertaining read and a valuable reference work." --Publishers Weekly
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Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $1.34, good condition, Sold by More Than Words rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Waltham, MA, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by St. Martin's Press.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $1.67, good condition, Sold by Gulf Coast Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Memphis, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.12, good condition, Sold by Off The Shelf rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Imperial, MO, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
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Seller's Description:
The item shows wear from consistent use, but it remains in good condition and works perfectly. All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.22, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.22, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.22, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.22, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.22, very good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.22, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.
Add this copy of I Love It When You Talk Retro: Hoochie Coochie, Double to cart. $2.22, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin.