Everyday Phrases: Their Origins And Meanings
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Language is alive with history, and Everyday Phrases: Their Origins and Meanings pulls back the curtain on the fascinating stories hidden within the words we use without a second thought. Neil Ewart chronicles the etymology and cultural evolution of common English phrases, tracing their roots through centuries of human experience — from medieval battlefields and seafaring voyages to the drawing rooms of Victorian England. Each entry presents a concise yet richly detailed account of how a phrase entered the popular lexicon, illuminating the surprising and often colourful circumstances that gave rise to expressions we still use today. Ewart writes with the clarity and enthusiasm of a seasoned linguist, making this volume an accessible and rewarding read for both casual word enthusiasts and serious scholars of the English language. The work argues, implicitly, that language is never arbitrary — every idiom carries the fingerprints of the society that coined it, offering a unique window into cultural history. Whether you are a crossword devotee, a writer seeking precision, or simply someone who has ever wondered why we bite the bullet or let the cat out of the bag, this compact reference will leave you seeing the English language in an entirely new light.
Author: Neil Ewart
Format: Hardback
Genre: Reference & language
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Worn/faded, no tears
Pages: Good
Language is alive with history, and Everyday Phrases: Their Origins and Meanings pulls back the curtain on the fascinating stories hidden within the words we use without a second thought. Neil Ewart chronicles the etymology and cultural evolution of common English phrases, tracing their roots through centuries of human experience — from medieval battlefields and seafaring voyages to the drawing rooms of Victorian England. Each entry presents a concise yet richly detailed account of how a phrase entered the popular lexicon, illuminating the surprising and often colourful circumstances that gave rise to expressions we still use today. Ewart writes with the clarity and enthusiasm of a seasoned linguist, making this volume an accessible and rewarding read for both casual word enthusiasts and serious scholars of the English language. The work argues, implicitly, that language is never arbitrary — every idiom carries the fingerprints of the society that coined it, offering a unique window into cultural history. Whether you are a crossword devotee, a writer seeking precision, or simply someone who has ever wondered why we bite the bullet or let the cat out of the bag, this compact reference will leave you seeing the English language in an entirely new light.