Common Phrases: And Where They Come from

Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (6/06) Ever wonder where the term "honeymoon" came from? Wonder no more! "Common Phrases" informs us that it was first recorded in Northern European countries. When initially married, couples were obligated to drink a wine made from fermented honey and water for a full 30 days - from one full moon to another. The drink, called methaglin, was believed to provide the newlyweds sweetness for eternity. The term "go to pot" has been around a long time, and I've used it myself. In this era one thinks it has something to do with marijuana, but, it doesn't. The term actually goes back when "trail by ordeal" was in effect and the accused was put into a pot of hot water and boiled. Did you ever "put the kibosh on it"? I'm sure most of us did, however, do we really know what that means? Korach explains that in Old England many auction stores were owned by Dutch Jewish refugees that were fugitives escaping persecution. Knowing very little English, they did their trading in Yiddish. "Kibosh" is a Yiddish word for "nine pennies" which was an insignificant amount. When the bidder wanted to stop the bidding on a trivial article, he would call out "Kibosh" and the bidding would stop, him being the winner. There are 224 pages full of phrases that many of us use without knowing the original meaning. Over time, as in "honeymoon" the meaning has changed, yet the term is the same. . It is evident that much research took place and it's always interesting to find out where the terms come from. Korach's compilation of phrases makes a great bathroom book or a gift for someone that is interested in trivia

Fantastic book ..... you don't even see the time passing once you start looking through the book!

Fun book that is easy reading. It lacks verifiable proof of statements made by the author but who is going to take the time to question such statements? It if for interesting conversation and fun not for a thesis topic.

I've always been intrigued by common phrases, or idioms, that are part of our everyday language. As a result I was happy to get my hands on this book. After reading COMMON PHRASES: AND WHERE THEY CAME FROM I feel as if many of my questions have been answered. In the introduction, almost as interesting as the body, Morduck and Korach explain the prevalance of idioms in addition to their historical and social significance. Now I realize how these common phrases maintain an important bond between the present and the past. Some of the idioms are so commonplace that I didn't realize their historical significance. Here is an example I found interesting,"Apple of My Eye: It was believed as long ago as the ninth century that the pupil of the eye was a vital spot in the human anatomy. Primitive medical curiousity about it caused the early healers to study the pupil as closely as they could. They concluded that it was apple shaped, and so it become popularly known as 'apple of the eye.' Because the pupil was considered as vital as life itself, it become customary for a gallant hero to call the object of his affections 'the apple of my eye.'" (p. 16)COMMON PHRASES: AND WHERE THEY COME FROM is well worth the money and time if you're as interested in idioms as I am.

This has been a great find. You don't actually "read" it so much as you look up expressions and phrases and sayings in the index and then read them to someone else. A terrific little volume to keep on your desk or even in the backpack. Lots of fun. I don't understand how I can be the first reviewer!