WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS
Book Details
Author(s)Nigel Rees
ISBN / ASINB00757ITDQ
ISBN-13978B00757ITD3
Sales Rank383,111
MarketplaceUnited States 🇺🇸
Description
Why do we say a person is a ‘nerd’ or a ‘wally’ or a ‘twerp’?
Or makes money ‘hand over fist’?
Or is the ‘spitting image’ of someone else?
Why is a lavatory also known as a ‘loo’, a ‘john’, a ‘jakes’ or a ‘crapper’?
Why do we ‘take a rain-check’?
Why shouldn’t you ‘teach your grandmother to suck eggs’?
What is about ‘the whole nine yards’?
And why do we use the term ‘the full monty’?
The answers – or at least informed commentary – on these and hundreds of other questions is to be found in WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS. In his classic survey of a selection of well-known but possibly puzzling expressions, Nigel Rees delves into their origins and where there is more than one theory, sets them all out.
In physical book form, WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS has – through several editions and title changes – sold more than 100,000 copies. Now it is time for the Kindle version ...
Or makes money ‘hand over fist’?
Or is the ‘spitting image’ of someone else?
Why is a lavatory also known as a ‘loo’, a ‘john’, a ‘jakes’ or a ‘crapper’?
Why do we ‘take a rain-check’?
Why shouldn’t you ‘teach your grandmother to suck eggs’?
What is about ‘the whole nine yards’?
And why do we use the term ‘the full monty’?
The answers – or at least informed commentary – on these and hundreds of other questions is to be found in WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS. In his classic survey of a selection of well-known but possibly puzzling expressions, Nigel Rees delves into their origins and where there is more than one theory, sets them all out.
In physical book form, WORD AND PHRASE ORIGINS has – through several editions and title changes – sold more than 100,000 copies. Now it is time for the Kindle version ...
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