Although this slim volume is merely a list of words pertaining to love and their origins and meanings, Morris's (The Word Detective)
beguiling prose may tempt readers to consume this lively concoction straight through from "Adonis" to "yen." Morris meticulously tracks each word's journey through time, which will leave readers with the sense that they are speaking history when they say "bride" or "darling," one of the oldest endearments in the English language. He also touches upon recently discarded rituals of courtship in his analysis of the words "spoon" and "neck," and comments on casual dating practices with his pithy summation of the phrase "hook up," arguing that it mirrors modern courtship by "collapsing the entire mating process into one tepid phrase." Present this informative title to any literary-minded lover, and they are sure to experience linguistic "ecstasy." (Jan. 16)
