From the Author
The ultimate guide to an intellectual's vocabulary.Do you know what Schadenfreude means? What about, red herring, faut de mieux, a priori, Ubermensch, pas de deux, Philistine, and onomatopoeia? Have you ever felt embarrassed when the key word in the comedian's punchline is a term you've never heard before? Do you want to speak with more conviction and spice? Do you want to have an intellectual's vocabulary, but don't have the time to read all those classic tomes? Or do you just love and treasure language and etymology? If so, THE INSTANT INTELLECTUAL is for you. It's a humorous gift book and a reference tool for all those pesky sayings and terms that you just can't find in an ordinary dictionary. Most of them are foreign, some of them are idiomatic, and all of them are indispensible to anyone who wants to join the cognoscenti but doesn't know where to begin. When you've learned all the words and phrases in this book, you'll be well on your way to possessing a rich, textured, cultured, and sophisticated vocabulary. Whether you're a salesman, an educator, a business executive, a lawyer, a student, a publicist, or a housewife, this book will help you make a powerful impression on everyone you meet. Best of all, this book will make you laugh, whether you know the terms or not, because it's filled not only with informative, etymological definitions, but also with playful anecdotes and cartoons about usage that will teach you how to beat language snobs at their own game.
