<DIV>To untangle the knot of interlocking meanings of these painted words, logophile and mythologist Phil Cousineau begins each fascinating word entry with his own brief definition. He then fills it in with a tint of etymology and a smattering of quotes that show how the word is used, ending with a list of companion words. The words themselves range from commonplace ? like <I>biscuit,</I> a twice-baked cake for Roman soldiers ? to loanwords including <I>chaparral,</I> from the Basque shepherds who came to the American West; words from myths, such as <I>hector;</I> metamorphosis words, like <I>silly,</I> which evolved <I>holy</I> to <I>goofy</I> in a mere thousand years; and words well worthy of revival, such as <I>carrytale,</I> a wandering storyteller. Whether old-fangled or brand new, all the words included in <I>The Painted Word</I> possess an ineffable quality that makes them luminous.<BR></DIV>