Columbus's discovery of America introduced to Europe new foodstuffs such as "chilli" and "chocolate" - and the words that describe them. The Normans invented the "feudal system" and "curfews", while the flourishing of Dutch art in the 17th century introduced "easel", "etching" and "landscapes". The American Civil War gave us the "grapevine" and the Korean War, "brainwashing". Throughout history, events great and small have left their mark on the way we speak. Starting from 1066 and working through to the modern day boom in techno-speak, this work links hundreds of words with the historical upheaval and minor social changes which gave them life.