2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings and Expressions from White Elephants to a Song & Dance

Why do people "take 40 winks" and not 50...or 60, or 70? Did someone literally "let the cat out of the bag" at one point in time? Has anyone actually "gone on a wild goose chase"? Find out the answers to these questions and many more in this enormous collection, comprised of four bestselling titles: A Hog on Ice, Thereby Hangs a Tale, Heavens to Betsy! and Horsefeathers and Other Curious Words. Dr. Funk, editor-in-chief of the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary Series, reveals the sometimes surprising, often amusing, and always fascinating roots of more than 2,000 vernacular words and expressions. From "kangaroo court" to "one-horse town", from "face the music" to "hocus-pocus," it's an entertaining linguistic journey.

• Why Do We Say? The Stories Behind the Words, Expressions and Cliches We Use
• Ever Wonder Why?: Here Are the Answers!
• Dictionary of Cliches: If You Wonder about the Origins of All Those Old Saws--from First Blush to Bite the Dust--You'll Find This Book the Cat's Meow!
• Dictionary of Word Origins: The Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words
• Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms
• The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins (Facts on File Writer's Library)
• Common Phrases: And Where They Come From
• Heavens to Betsy!: & Other Curious Sayings
• Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings and Fun Phrases
• Now I Know: The Revealing Stories Behind the World's Most Interesting Facts