A Hog on Ice - & Other Curious Expressions

Informationen zum Autor Charles Earle Funk was editor in chief of the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary Series. He wrote several other books on word and phrase origins, including Horsefeathers, Heavens to Betsy!, and Thereby Hangs a Tale. Klappentext He's as independent as a hog on ice! Where did expressions like this come from anyway? Now finally we'll know what "letting the cat out of the bag" or "going on a wild-goose chase" refers to. In this fun collection of more than 400 curious expressions and sayings, Dr. Funk explains the meanings that we use in everyday speech without even thinking about it. He has traced them back through the years -- in some cases centuries -- in an effort to determine their sources, to find out what the original allusions were, or at the very least, to give us his expert opinion when facts cannot be traced. Zusammenfassung From “mad as a wet hen” to “corn dodger” and “hobgoblin,” Charles Funk’s collections of curious words and expressions are a treasure trove of word origin. Where did expressions like this come from anyway? Now finally we’ll know what “letting the cat out of the bag” or “going on wild-goose chase” refers to. In this fun collection of over 400 curious expressions and sayings, Dr. Funk explains the meanings that we use in everyday speech without even thinking about it. He has traced them back through the years-in some cases centuries-in an effort to determine their sources, to find out what the original allusions were, or, at the very least, to give us his expert opinion when facts cannot be traced.

About the author

Charles Earle Funk was editor in chief of the Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary Series. He wrote several other books on word and phrase origins, including Horsefeathers, Heavens to Betsy!, and Thereby Hangs a Tale.

Product details

• Authors: Charles E Funk, Charles E. Funk, Charles Earle Funk, Funk Charles Earle
• Assisted by: Tom Funk (Illustration)
• Publisher: William Morrow
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 01.10.2002
• EAN: 9780060513290
• ISBN: 978-0-06-051329-0
• No. of pages: 224
• Dimensions: 135 mm x 203 mm x 13 mm
• Subjects: Education and learning > Teaching preparation > Teaching materials, hand-outs; Humanities, art, music > Linguistics and literary studies > General and comparative literary studies; Education, Reference works, Teaching skills and techniques, Language: reference and general, Writing and editing guides, Trivia and quiz questions, Creative writing and creative writing guides, Quotations, proverbs and sayings, HISTORY: Social History, REFERENCE: Quotations, REFERENCE: Trivia, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES: Writing / Authorship, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES: Linguistics / Etymology, LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES: Writing / Fiction Writing, REFERENCE: Word Lists, EDUCATION: Reference