Author: Nigel Rees
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 9780304349661
Category : Americanisms
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Book Description
This is an entertaining guide to the myriad popular expressions and sayings that pepper the language. The dictionary not only explains the meanings of over 1200 expressions, but also shows where they came from and how thay became popular
The Cassell Dictionary of Catchphrases
Author: Nigel Rees
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 9780304349661
Category : Americanisms
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Book Description
This is an entertaining guide to the myriad popular expressions and sayings that pepper the language. The dictionary not only explains the meanings of over 1200 expressions, but also shows where they came from and how thay became popular
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 9780304349661
Category : Americanisms
Languages : en
Pages : 230
Book Description
This is an entertaining guide to the myriad popular expressions and sayings that pepper the language. The dictionary not only explains the meanings of over 1200 expressions, but also shows where they came from and how thay became popular
Cassell's Dictionary of Catchphrases
Author: Nigel Rees
Publisher: Cassell
ISBN: 9780304366859
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 269
Book Description
A revised, updated and expanded edition of Cassell's guide to some 1200 popular catchphrases.
Publisher: Cassell
ISBN: 9780304366859
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 269
Book Description
A revised, updated and expanded edition of Cassell's guide to some 1200 popular catchphrases.
A Dictionary of Confusable Phrases
Author: Yuri Dolgopolov
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786459956
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 406
Book Description
Covering over 10,000 idioms and collocations characterized by similarity in their wording or metaphorical idea which do not show corresponding similarity in their meanings, this dictionary presents a unique cross-section of the English language. Though it is designed specifically to assist readers in avoiding the use of inappropriate or erroneous phrases, the book can also be used as a regular phraseological dictionary providing definitions to individual idioms, cliches, and set expressions. Most phrases included in the dictionary are in active current use, making information about their meanings and usage essential to language learners at all levels of proficiency.
Publisher: McFarland
ISBN: 0786459956
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 406
Book Description
Covering over 10,000 idioms and collocations characterized by similarity in their wording or metaphorical idea which do not show corresponding similarity in their meanings, this dictionary presents a unique cross-section of the English language. Though it is designed specifically to assist readers in avoiding the use of inappropriate or erroneous phrases, the book can also be used as a regular phraseological dictionary providing definitions to individual idioms, cliches, and set expressions. Most phrases included in the dictionary are in active current use, making information about their meanings and usage essential to language learners at all levels of proficiency.
The Hidden History of Coined Words
Author: Ralph Keyes
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190466774
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
Successful word-coinages--those that stay in currency for a good long time--tend to conceal their beginnings. We take them at face value and rarely when and where they were first minted. Engaging, illuminating, and authoritative, Ralph Keyes's The Hidden History of Coined Words explores the etymological underworld of terms and expressions and uncovers plenty of hidden gems. He also finds some fascinating patterns, such as that successful neologisms are as likely to be created by chance as by design. A remarkable number of new words were coined whimsically, originally intended to troll or taunt. Knickers, for example, resulted from a hoax; big bang from an insult. Casual wisecracking produced software, crowdsource, and blog. More than a few resulted from happy accidents, such as typos, mistranslations, and mishearing (bigly and buttonhole), or from being taken entirely out of context (robotics). Neologizers (a Thomas Jefferson coinage) include not just scholars and writers but cartoonists, columnists, children's book authors. Wimp originated with a book series, as did goop, and nerd from a book by Dr. Seuss. Coinages are often contested, controversy swirling around such terms as gonzo, mojo, and booty call. Keyes considers all contenders, while also leading us through the fray between new word partisans, and those who resist them strenuously. He concludes with advice about how to make your own successful coinage. The Hidden History of Coined Words will appeal not just to word mavens but history buffs, trivia contesters, and anyone who loves the immersive power of language.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0190466774
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 320
Book Description
Successful word-coinages--those that stay in currency for a good long time--tend to conceal their beginnings. We take them at face value and rarely when and where they were first minted. Engaging, illuminating, and authoritative, Ralph Keyes's The Hidden History of Coined Words explores the etymological underworld of terms and expressions and uncovers plenty of hidden gems. He also finds some fascinating patterns, such as that successful neologisms are as likely to be created by chance as by design. A remarkable number of new words were coined whimsically, originally intended to troll or taunt. Knickers, for example, resulted from a hoax; big bang from an insult. Casual wisecracking produced software, crowdsource, and blog. More than a few resulted from happy accidents, such as typos, mistranslations, and mishearing (bigly and buttonhole), or from being taken entirely out of context (robotics). Neologizers (a Thomas Jefferson coinage) include not just scholars and writers but cartoonists, columnists, children's book authors. Wimp originated with a book series, as did goop, and nerd from a book by Dr. Seuss. Coinages are often contested, controversy swirling around such terms as gonzo, mojo, and booty call. Keyes considers all contenders, while also leading us through the fray between new word partisans, and those who resist them strenuously. He concludes with advice about how to make your own successful coinage. The Hidden History of Coined Words will appeal not just to word mavens but history buffs, trivia contesters, and anyone who loves the immersive power of language.
Cassell's Dictionary of Slang
Author: Jonathon Green
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: 9780304366361
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1600
Book Description
With its unparalleled coverage of English slang of all types (from 18th-century cant to contemporary gay slang), and its uncluttered editorial apparatus, Cassell's Dictionary of Slang was warmly received when its first edition appeared in 1998. 'Brilliant.' said Mark Lawson on BBC2's The Late Review; 'This is a terrific piece of work - learned, entertaining, funny, stimulating' said Jonathan Meades in The Evening Standard.But now the world's best single-volume dictionary of English slang is about to get even better. Jonathon Green has spent the last seven years on a vast project: to research in depth the English slang vocabulary and to hunt down and record written instances of the use of as many slang words as possible. This has entailed trawling through more than 4000 books - plus song lyrics, TV and movie scripts, and many newspapers and magazines - for relevant material. The research has thrown up some fascinating results
Publisher: Sterling Publishing Company, Inc.
ISBN: 9780304366361
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 1600
Book Description
With its unparalleled coverage of English slang of all types (from 18th-century cant to contemporary gay slang), and its uncluttered editorial apparatus, Cassell's Dictionary of Slang was warmly received when its first edition appeared in 1998. 'Brilliant.' said Mark Lawson on BBC2's The Late Review; 'This is a terrific piece of work - learned, entertaining, funny, stimulating' said Jonathan Meades in The Evening Standard.But now the world's best single-volume dictionary of English slang is about to get even better. Jonathon Green has spent the last seven years on a vast project: to research in depth the English slang vocabulary and to hunt down and record written instances of the use of as many slang words as possible. This has entailed trawling through more than 4000 books - plus song lyrics, TV and movie scripts, and many newspapers and magazines - for relevant material. The research has thrown up some fascinating results
Political Catchphrases and Contemporary History
Author: Suman Gupta
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019286369X
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
This book offers an historical account of the period 2001-2020 by focusing on the shifting connotations of certain political catchphrases and words.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019286369X
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 225
Book Description
This book offers an historical account of the period 2001-2020 by focusing on the shifting connotations of certain political catchphrases and words.
The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs
Author:
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300183356
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 729
Book Description
"You can't unring a bell." "It takes a village to raise a child." "Life is just a bowl of cherries." We sometimes think of proverbs as expressions of ancient wisdom, but in fact new proverbs are constantly arising. This unique volume is devoted exclusively to English language proverbs that originated in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The most complete and accurate such collection ever compiled, The Yale Book of Modern Proverbs presents more than 1,400 individual proverbs gathered and researched with the help of electronic full-text databases not previously used for such a project. Entries are organized alphabetically by key words, with information about the earliest datable appearance, origin, history, and meaning of each proverb. Mundane or sublime, serious or jocular, these memorable sayings represent virtually every aspect of the modern experience. Readers will find the book almost impossible to put down once opened; every page offers further proof of the immense vitality of proverbs and their colorful contributions to the oral traditions of today.
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300183356
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 729
Book Description
"You can't unring a bell." "It takes a village to raise a child." "Life is just a bowl of cherries." We sometimes think of proverbs as expressions of ancient wisdom, but in fact new proverbs are constantly arising. This unique volume is devoted exclusively to English language proverbs that originated in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The most complete and accurate such collection ever compiled, The Yale Book of Modern Proverbs presents more than 1,400 individual proverbs gathered and researched with the help of electronic full-text databases not previously used for such a project. Entries are organized alphabetically by key words, with information about the earliest datable appearance, origin, history, and meaning of each proverb. Mundane or sublime, serious or jocular, these memorable sayings represent virtually every aspect of the modern experience. Readers will find the book almost impossible to put down once opened; every page offers further proof of the immense vitality of proverbs and their colorful contributions to the oral traditions of today.
Curious English Words and Phrases
Author: Max Cryer
Publisher: Exisle Publishing
ISBN: 1921966017
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 434
Book Description
Have you ever wondered where terms like 'end of your tether', 'gets my goat' or 'letting ones hair down' come from? Or why we call some people 'geezers', 'sugar daddies' or 'lounge lizards'? Or where the words 'eavesdropping', 'nickname' and 'D-Day' come from? They are just a few of the many words and phrases that language expert Max Cryer examines in this fact-filled and fun new book. Max explains where these curious expressions come from, what they mean and how they are used. Along the way he tells a host of colourful anecdotes and dispels quite a few myths - Did Churchill originate the phrase 'black dog'? And if 'ivory tower' can be found in the Bible, why has its meaning changed so drastically? Curious English Words and Phrases is a treasure trove for lovers of language. Informative, amusing and value for money, this book is 'the real McCoy'. From 'couch potato' to 'Bob's your uncle', you'll find the explanation here!
Publisher: Exisle Publishing
ISBN: 1921966017
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 434
Book Description
Have you ever wondered where terms like 'end of your tether', 'gets my goat' or 'letting ones hair down' come from? Or why we call some people 'geezers', 'sugar daddies' or 'lounge lizards'? Or where the words 'eavesdropping', 'nickname' and 'D-Day' come from? They are just a few of the many words and phrases that language expert Max Cryer examines in this fact-filled and fun new book. Max explains where these curious expressions come from, what they mean and how they are used. Along the way he tells a host of colourful anecdotes and dispels quite a few myths - Did Churchill originate the phrase 'black dog'? And if 'ivory tower' can be found in the Bible, why has its meaning changed so drastically? Curious English Words and Phrases is a treasure trove for lovers of language. Informative, amusing and value for money, this book is 'the real McCoy'. From 'couch potato' to 'Bob's your uncle', you'll find the explanation here!
Around the World in 80 Cliches
Author: Laura Lee
Publisher: Wellfleet Press
ISBN: 1577151526
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
Travel the world with these incredibly fun cliches! Whether cliches get under your skin or make you laugh, Around the World in 80 Cliches goes the extra mile to provide an essential resource for students, teachers, writers, and anyone with a keen interest in language. Each phrase and expression comes with an explanation and place of origin. Cheeky and informative, each cliche is presented in such a way that is sure to keep you laughing through all of your adventures!
Publisher: Wellfleet Press
ISBN: 1577151526
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 256
Book Description
Travel the world with these incredibly fun cliches! Whether cliches get under your skin or make you laugh, Around the World in 80 Cliches goes the extra mile to provide an essential resource for students, teachers, writers, and anyone with a keen interest in language. Each phrase and expression comes with an explanation and place of origin. Cheeky and informative, each cliche is presented in such a way that is sure to keep you laughing through all of your adventures!
Behold the Proverbs of a People
Author: Wolfgang Mieder
Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN: 1626743037
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 679
Book Description
The thirteen chapters of this book comprise an intriguing and informative entry into the world of proverb scholarship, illustrating that proverbs have always been and continue to be wisdom's international currency. The first section of the book focuses on the field of paremiology (proverb studies) in general, the spread of Anglo-American proverbs in Europe, and the phenomenon of modern proverbs. The second section analyzes the use of proverbs in the world of politics, including a chapter on President Obama, while the third concentrates on the uses of proverbs in literature. The final section ends with detailed cultural studies of the origin, history, dissemination, use, function, and meaning of specific proverbs. Noted scholar Wolfgang Mieder shows that proverbs matter in culture, literature, and politics. Proverbs remain part and parcel of oral and written communication, and, he demonstrates, they deserve to be studied from a range of viewpoints. While various chapters deal with a variety of issues and approaches, they cohere through a rhetorical perspective that looks at the text, texture, and context of proverbs as speech acts that make a noteworthy impact on culture and society. Whether proverbs appear in everyday speech, on the radio, on television, in films, on the pages of newspapers or magazines, in advertisements, in literary works, or in political speeches, they serve as formulaic verbal devices to add authoritative weight through tradition, convention, and wisdom.
Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi
ISBN: 1626743037
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 679
Book Description
The thirteen chapters of this book comprise an intriguing and informative entry into the world of proverb scholarship, illustrating that proverbs have always been and continue to be wisdom's international currency. The first section of the book focuses on the field of paremiology (proverb studies) in general, the spread of Anglo-American proverbs in Europe, and the phenomenon of modern proverbs. The second section analyzes the use of proverbs in the world of politics, including a chapter on President Obama, while the third concentrates on the uses of proverbs in literature. The final section ends with detailed cultural studies of the origin, history, dissemination, use, function, and meaning of specific proverbs. Noted scholar Wolfgang Mieder shows that proverbs matter in culture, literature, and politics. Proverbs remain part and parcel of oral and written communication, and, he demonstrates, they deserve to be studied from a range of viewpoints. While various chapters deal with a variety of issues and approaches, they cohere through a rhetorical perspective that looks at the text, texture, and context of proverbs as speech acts that make a noteworthy impact on culture and society. Whether proverbs appear in everyday speech, on the radio, on television, in films, on the pages of newspapers or magazines, in advertisements, in literary works, or in political speeches, they serve as formulaic verbal devices to add authoritative weight through tradition, convention, and wisdom.