'It reads as freshly today as it did fifty years ago, when it surprised everyone with its originality and daring, an intriguing blend of personal insight and solid detective-work. If ever a word-book deserved to be called a classic, it is this.' - David Crystal
`Partridge remains the standard introduction on the subject. For those libraries and individuals who do not already have it on their shelves it is good to have this reasonably priced reprint available.' - Reference Reviews
'Most people reading the book will be delighted with Partridge's learned swashbuckling style, grateful for his scholarship, and amused by the plethora of examples he explores.' - Roy Johnson, Mantex
Eric Partridge (1884-1979) was the author of some three dozen books, mainly on the aspects of the English language. Stanley Wells is an eminent Shakespearean scholar and the general editor of Oxford Shakespeare.