Why Do We Say That? 101 Idioms, Phrases, Sayings & Facts! A Brief History On Where They Come From!

Review
"I loved the selection of different idioms in the book. I'm learning English and this was a great way to increase my vocabulary and comprehension. The pictures really helped me solidify my understanding as well."
- Saulo Cesar (verified purchase)
"If you've ever wondered where phrases like "knock on wood' or "green with envy" come from, you'll want to read this book. In Why Do We Say That, the author has curated 101 regularly used idioms, proverbs, turns of phrases, and colloquial terms with the most fascinating backstories you could ever imagine! Before I read this book, I did not realize just how often we use these phrases (and why they may be confusing for non-native English speakers). Great for teachers, writers, and public speakers who like to geek out on etymology and share fun facts about words. This book is well-researched and informative. It's a real page-turner.."
- Tara W (verified purchase)
"The author (from the About the Author section) says he "hopes this book will provide you with hours of fun, knowledge, entertainment and laughter." He absolutely succeeds on all fronts - I love this book! It is so much fun to learn about the meaning and history of the idioms presented. the illustrations are nicely done and add to the content without being a distraction. The historical research behind each idiom is sometimes humorous, often thought-provoking, and always fascinating. I teach English as a Second Language to adult learners and I always try to end each session with a new idiom for them to enjoy learning about. This book will make that task so much easier and provide me with lots of personal entertainment - very well done!!"
- Nancy Golden (verified purchase)
"Love this! I say a lot of these and didn't know where they come from or "why" we say them but now I know and can entertain through conversations for hours! Ha! So many sayings and loved learning about them all! Great illustrations as well! Will recommend!"
- Dominique (verified purchase)
"A witty, fun book! Each page has a unique illustration and an explanation into the origin and current usage of common English idioms. I learned a lot of history and fun facts too! My little one loved the pictures and had a blast learning about the interesting (often silly) phrases that people say all the time. Easy to pick up and put down without missing beat. I'll have to remember to give some as gifts for Father's Day too!"
- Heather M Imsande (verified purchase)
"Interesting book - full of background info you can pull out as fun facts at work and parties. Well-written and succinct. You can read it over several days, weeks, etc. and discover new things!"
- Kayla (verified purchase)
"A lot of questions re: the origins of certain catchphrases were answered. Learned that without the Bible, William Shakespeare, and Benjamin Franklin our language would be pretty boring."
- Theresa K. Read (verified purchase)
"This book has a great simple layout and offers great little insights, to aid well-known sayings. The illustrations are lovely to look at and complement each idiom, phrase or saying extremely well. All in all, a great little book, would really recommend it!"
- Ollii Park (verified purchase)
Why do we say "no dice" when refusing someone's request? What do clouds and their ‟silver linings" have to do with our hopes and troubles? Why are some people born with a “silver spoon” in their mouth? What does it truly mean to be a “jack of all trades?”
Like many people, you’ve probably used idioms or phrases like these without giving them a second thought. But if you were to take a moment to step back and learn about them, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover the mesmerizing and sometimes outright bizarre origins to these fun sayings!
In Why Do We Say That, we have curated 101 regularly used idioms, proverbs, turns of phrases, and colloquial terms that have the most fascinating backstories. For each phrase, we have explained how it was coined