Have you ever found yourself rushing to complete a task and heard someone say, “Hold your horses?” Did the comment cause you to stop, scratch your head and think, “Horses? I don’t have any horses.”
Or maybe, a boss encouraged you to “Go the extra mile” while working on a project, and you thought, “Huh? I’m not even moving; how do I go farther?”
Idioms, as seen in the examples above, are groups of words having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. Many people use these types of idioms daily without really understanding their origins.
For those inquiring minds who enjoy appearing wiser than their friends, family, or co-workers, author Louis Richards delivers a thorough look at over a hundred such phrases.
Say What? 111 Idioms and Phrases and Their Fascinating Origins is an easy and informative read that guarantees readers some points during a friendly round of Jeopardy or Trivial Pursuit.
Go ahead, “Jump on the bandwagon” of idiom origins!
***The author provided a free copy. All opinions included in this review are entirely my own.
Until Next Time,
Becky J. Miller
“Warrior Princess”