Why Do We Say That? 101 Idioms, Phrases, Sayings & Facts! A Brief History On Where They Come From!

Calling shotgun, cutting to the chase, hearing news through the grapevine: most of us use these phrases daily without wondering where they started. Scott Matthews gathers 101 idioms, proverbs and turns of phrase and, for each one, explains how it was coined, how its meaning changed over the centuries and how it reached the sense we use today.

The stories range from the sensible to the wonderfully odd. The book links raining cats and dogs to the streets of seventeenth-century London, taking something with a grain of salt to an ancient remedy for poison, and running amok to Southeast Asian warrior traditions. The short entries are easy to dip into, which makes it a good fit for curious children and word-loving adults alike, and for anyone who likes a surprising fact to share over dinner.