It is a compendium of words once common and no longer used, where they came from, what they meant, and in some cases what they have morphed into over time. When I was in college, I took a linguistics and etymology course that was one of my favorites. This book was not precisely what I imagined but I enjoyed it just the same. The writing style was pretty good and I probably would have enjoyed this book more if I hadn't just read The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way by Bill Bryson. I would have preferred more definitions and less of the fluffier bits. Don't get me started on Scandaroon, Nimgimmer, or Kingsevil. Did you know that a stirrup-cup, a mug of some alcoholic beverage handed to a horsed patron of a tavern as he leaves, is the origin of the phrase 'one for the road?' That's just one of the words within. While it is that, it's also a lot more.įorgotten English contains a lot of words, some seldom used, some probably never uttered aloud in several centuries, and a lot of fun facts pertaining to them. When I saw this book, I was picturing a dictionary full of words that have fallen out of favor. “He will make an excellent addition to the appellate bench.”īirk earned his bachelor’s degree and law degree from the University of Washington.Forgotten English is a collection of antiquated words and their histories. “Ian is a talented litigator, with a reputation not only for intellect, but also compassion and empathy,” said Inslee. He is also a longtime volunteer lawyer providing pro bono legal services through the King County Bar Association. He has served on the Board of Governors for both organizations. He began his legal career as a judicial law clerk to Washington State Supreme Court Justice Susan Owens.īirk is active in both the American Association for Justice and the Washington State Association for Justice, professional organizations in which he has been involved since 2002. Before joining Keller Rohrback, Birk represented plaintiffs in litigation for both Chemnick Moen Greenstreet and the Donchez Law Firm. He has litigated at that firm since 2005. Birk will replace Judge John Chun, who was recently confirmed as a judge on the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.īirk is a partner at Keller Rohrback LLP, where he represents policyholders in disputes with insurance carriers. Jay Inslee announced today the appointment of Ian Birk to the Washington State Court of Appeals, Division One.

Jeffrey kacirk