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9780816043576

The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches

by
  • ISBN13:

    9780816043576

  • ISBN10:

    0816043574

  • Format: Paperback
  • Copyright: 2001-10-01
  • Publisher: Checkmark Books
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List Price: $23.93

Summary

This updated and expanded edition explains the meanings and origins of almost 4,000 cliches and common expressions. Each entry includes the meaning of the cliche or expression, its origin and early uses, the historical development, and its present-day usage. This comprehensive reference is fully indexed and cross-referenced.

Author Biography

Christine Ammer is the author of more than two dozen popular reference books on subjects ranging from classical music to women's health. For the past 15 years she has concentrated on language, especially the sources of colloquial expressions. She also writes a column on terms from military history for Military History Quarterly. She lives in Lexington, Massachusetts

Table of Contents

Author's Note vii
Entries A-Z
1(454)
Index 455

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Excerpts

While dictionaries define cliches as trite phrases or expressions that convey popular or common ideas, these words and phrases offer interesting insights into changes in culture, language, and history. Designed for students, language lovers, writers, and browsers alike, The Facts On File Dictionary of Cliches is the most comprehensive reference available, offering explanations and information on the meanings and origins of more than 3,000 cliches and common expressions. Drawing from a wide variety of sources, including the Bible, Shakespeare, and other works of literature, each entry details the meaning of the cliche or expression, its source, early uses, and the history of the phrase over time. The cliches level of use in contemporary English is also noted.
Entries include:
Been there, done that
Best/worst-case scenario
Cast/written in stone
Couch potato
Get a life
In your face.

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