Books : Red Herrings And White Elephants: The Origins Of The Phrases We Use Every Day
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 031
EAN: 9781843581291
ISBN: 1843581299
Label: Metro Books
Manufacturer: Metro Books
Number Of Pages: 288
Publication Date: October 31, 2004
Publisher: Metro Books
Sales Rank: 927533
Studio: Metro Books
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Bold as brass, cold feet, cock and bull, off the cuff, red herrings and white elephants. We use these phrases every day and yet have only the vaguest idea of where many of them come from. The origins of hundreds of common phrases are explained in this irreverent journey through the most fascinating and richest regions of the English language. Once you've read one, you'll be diving back in to look up all the others. Red Herrings is full of amazing definitions that take us all over the world, including military traditions and famous people who lent their names to describe familiar situations. From the drop of a hat to the bitter end - you'll never speak English in the same way again.
Average Rating: 
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This book is a ton of fun. Okay, it may not be the most concise but for what it is it is fun. It was written by the Brits though and so a few of the phrases I've never heard. If you are a know it all, crazy about etymology or you just enjoy oddball trivia books, this book is fun, very informative.
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I love useless knowledge and this gives an ample supply and answers some of those impervious little questions.
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This book explores the origin of common phrases used in every day speech.
Those reading the book should be aware that not all of the derivations presented are uncontested, and that a couple of the explanations seem truncated.
For example, I would recommend that anyone who is interested in the origin of 'biting the bullet' needs to be aware that the underlying rumour was that the grease was made out of cow or pig fat. The cow is sacred to the Hindu and the pig is an unclean animal to the Muslim. Therefore whether Hindu or Muslim, they felt that they were being forced into a polluting practice. While it is possible that some of the cartridges were made with pig or bullock fat, the contractors had been instructed to use mutton.
The book itself is an entertaining and easy to read addition to a reference library on English language.
Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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I find these stories about expressions we use, like giving someone the whole nine yards, absolutely fascinating, and this book has hundreds of them, usefully organized. I even like paging through it for fifteen minutes before going to sleep, like having bite sized short stories. Great source for cocktail party conversation, and might make you seem very learned indeed.
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This is not the kind of book that you can just sit down and read. It is absolutely mandatory that you have someone nearby that you can tap on the shoulder and ask if they know what a red herring is or a white elephant. And then minutes later you will be bothering them with another gem that you just have to share. And then you interrupt them yet again with another one. Definitely a fun, interactive book.
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