The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings and Origins of Thousands of Terms and Expressions

For a logophile such as myself, this book is a treat. Since acquiring it, I've made it a habit (as I've done with some other books in the Facts on File collection) to randomly review at least ten of the entries per day, as "work," and often peruse it just for fun. A good example of an entry is "all in a dither: In a jittery, agitated state. This expression dates from the early 1800s, when it also was put as *of a dither*. The noun dither comes from the Middle English verb didderen, meaning to 'tremble.' A newer synonym is *in a tizzy,* dating from the first half of the 1900s. Its origin is not known." Aside from the source of the phrase, this is a useful book to learn *what not to say.* If a word or phrase is clichéd, it shouldn't be used. In a nutshell, one could consider this book a safe haven from the etymological equivalent of giving up the ghost.

Okay, a comprehensive look at cliches would probably be larger than the OED. However, while there are great items in here, there are certainly some missing that I'd consider in common usage. Still a great book that's always next to my chair for a quick glance at every now and then.

The meanings and origins of literally thousands of words and definitions come to life in a newly expanded, updated edition of a popular title, which adds hundreds of new cliches from all walks of life -including the business world as well as popular culture - and provides an indexed, cross-referenced survey of all. It's a recommended reference acquisition for both high school and college-level holdings - and many a public library will also find it important. Diane C. Donovan California Bookwatch

This book is a great give for anyone who loves words and the history of the English language. I bought this book on a lark, but now I can hardly put it down. I have always loved words and how they are put together to make sayings and phrases and this book give a brief history of some time old cliches.

This is another fine reference from the Facts on File Writer's Library, and is a terrific resource for writers, readers, students and teachers. Phrases are listed alphabetically, though alphabetizing phrases can be tricky, and if you can't find a phrase, check out the index at the back of the book. Each entry includes an explanation of its meaning, and most discuss the phrase's origin. The print is clean and I was able to find most of the phrases in which I was interested. Very nice reference.