Wolf Whistle - 14 December 2015

<p>Gifts for book lovers. Martha recommends one for lovers of libraries and another for students of Spanish. Grant suggests some enchanting novels for young readers. When it comes to books, though, you can't always judge them by their original titles. One of Jane Austen's greatest novels was originally called "First Impressions." Only later did she swap out that name for the alliterative--and immortal--"Pride and Prejudice." And: Imagine a favorite colleague is moving away for a fantastic new job. What's a good word to describe that mix of feelings where you're really happy for that person but also a little sad? Plus, word quiz for those who love to study, a new-ish meaning of basic, wolf whistling, canvassing, Cobb salad, and how to pronounce the name Colin.<br /><br />FULL DETAILS<br /><br />One of the greatest novels in all of American literature was originally titled Catch-18. Then Joseph Heller found out that a novel about World War II called Mila 18 already existed. So he changed his book to Catch-22. And guess which American classic was originally titled, Something That Happened, before its author read a Robert Burns poem about a farmer who destroys the home of a little mouse?<br /><br />Looking for a word that denotes being really excited for someone, but also a little sad? One option is bittersweet, but if you'd like a term that's not quite so overused, yayboo is taking hold online. The Modern Greek word charmolype translates as "bitter joy" or "sweet sadness," although it's often used in a religious context, particularly around the mix of feelings evoked by crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.<br /><br />The word canvassing, as in, going door-to-door passing out political information, has an obscure etymology. It's thought to be related to the use of canvas material either for sifting things out or tossing someone in the air. Either way, it probably has to do with a kind of "shaking out" or vetting to discern the truth.<br /><br />We all know that lusty two-note whistle directed at an attractive pass