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The Meaning and Origins of Popular Expressions
Caroline Taggart
Michael O’Mara
Books Ltd
3 March 2016/ ISBN 9781782435822
NonFiction / Language / Humor
Reviewed
by Rachel A Hyde
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This
is a book that explains the stories behind how many popular
idioms came into existence. They are the sort of phrases that
people use all the time in the UK (and US as well as other English
speaking places), but many of them are not obvious. How can
you steal somebody’s thunder, or have a chip on your shoulder
for example? If you have ever wondered you can now find out.
I do love books like this; we use phrases like these all the
time without really thinking about it but they are a part of
our popular culture. Knowing their history gives using them
a new dimension and this is the sort of book to dip into at
odd moments when you feel like learning something new. It is
an easy book to use as all the sayings are grouped alphabetically
at the front with the qualifying word in bold type. For instance
Middle of the road, Beyond the Pale, Not all it’s Cracked
up to be etc. After a short introduction the rest of the book
consists of the explanations along with a few amusing cartoons;
at the back is a list of helpful websites from whence came much
of the material. Each saying is explained briefly enough with
a considerable dose of dry humor which makes it more amusing.
I knew quite a few of them but by no means all, and some have
more than one possible explanation. Some are fairly new, others
lost in the mists of time but all are interesting to learn the
stories behind. Leave it on your coffee table for next time
you have guests!
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