An eponym is the name of a person after whom something is named, for example Lord Sandwich gave his name to the sandwich. This book tells the stories of nearly one thousand men and women whose names have become part of the English language. It introduces readers to the people behind the Bunsen burner, the Catherine wheel and the Belisha beacon, and explains who John Hancock, Gordon Bennett and Granny Smith were. It also includes characters from literature and mythology who have become part of the language, such as Frankenstein and Rip van Winkle, and reveals the little-known figures behind such everyday words as 'tawdry' and 'hooligan'. The book is clearly set out and provides full and detailed explanations of each word. Many of the entries are embellished with strange and surprising facts about the people who have become immortalized in English.