On the Origin of the Cliches and Evolution of Idioms - Stanley J St Clair

This fascinating work unveils the origins and meanings of almost 400 common English cliches, idioms, axioms, proverbs, similes, and curious words and catch-phrases, salted with a hint of humor. It is a myth-buster on the origins of a number of them. If you think you know the full scoop on "Your name is mud," and the international distress signal, "SOS," you are likely wrong. What about "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones?" and "Caught red handed?" Did "Cleanliness is next to godliness" come from the Bible? The book is illustrated and lists hundreds of references from books, plays, films, songs, poems, and even currency, letters and court records. Delve into this unique tome which is better by 'a country mile' than many others of its type.