Favoured etymological sources: Oxford English Dictionary and Webster's New World: Third Edition. Sources for usage (pronunciation, spelling or pluralisation): The previous, as well as American Heritage Dictionary: Fourth Edition, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of the English Language: 1960, and Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition. Primary source for phonology: Kenstowicz's Phonology in Generative Grammar: 1994.
This is very funny. Simply written and well performed. For some loosely related thoughts you can take a look at an early entry on this web log. My thanks to Brady Spangenberg for sending the video to me.