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Review
This fascinating book reminds us how much of English is a sort of code. (Christopher Hirst, The Independent )
Product Description
Did you know that 'flavour of the month' originated in a marketing campaign in American ice-cream parlours in the 1940s, when a particular flavour would be specially promoted for a month at a time? And did you know that 'off the cuff' refers to the rather messy practice of writing impromptu notes on one's shirt cuff before speaking in public? These and many more idioms are explained and put into context in this third edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. The volume takes a fresh look at the idiomatic phrases and sayings that make English the rich and intriguing language that it is. This major new edition contains entries for over 6,000 idioms, including 700 entirely new entries, based on Oxford's language monitoring and the ongoing third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. These include a range of recently established idioms such as 'the elephant in the corner', 'go figure', 'like a rat up a drainpipe', 'sex on legs', 'step up to the plate', 'too posh to push', 'a walk in the park', 'win ugly'. This edition also features a greatly increased number of cross-references, making it ideal for quick reference. Many entries include additional features which give more detailed background on the idiom in question. For example, did you know that 'taken aback' was adopted from nautical terminology that described a ship unable to move forward because of a strong headwind pressing its sails back against the mast? Anyone interested in the colourful side of the English language will get hours of fun browsing from this fascinating and informative volume.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this for my 11 yr old daughter who needs more of a challenge in her English lessons. Very useful and a book the whole family can dip in and out of.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I was hoping this book would be the origins of idioms such as under the weather referring to being under the weather deck in a ship when you are poorly. This book does have a few of these but most are just a description of how to use it. So under the weather just says feeling unwell.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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1 review
1 of 3 people found the following review helpful
resonably good
15 May 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
the treatment of the idioms is not as comprehensive as you would expect--the illustrations are not that clear,and they're not enough of them. It's a handy paperback with quite a few idioms for a quick lookup. Also it is slightly expensive for a small paperback.
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