An Extract from The Real McCoy by Claire Cock-Starkey

It gives me great pleasure to feature Claire Cock-Starkey again on Linda’s Book Bag, this time with an extract from The Real McCoy. I have previously reviewed Claire’s The Book Lover’s Miscellany here and A Library Miscellany here.

Published by the Bodleian Library on 12th October 2018, The Real McCoy is available for purchase here.

The Real McCoy

The English language is rich with eponyms – words that are named after an individual – some better known than others. This book features 150 of the most interesting and enlightening specimens, delving into the origins of the words and describing the fascinating people after whom they were named.

Eponyms are derived from numerous sources. Some are named in honour of a style icon, inventor or explorer, such as pompadour, Kalashnikov and Cadillac. Others have their roots in Greek or Roman mythology, such as panic and tantalise. A…