Dictionary of Word Origins: A History of the Words, Expressions and Cliches We Use
by Jordon Almond
from Citadel Pr
Bawdy Language: Everything You Always Wanted To Do But Were Afraid To Say
by Lawrence Paros
from Kvetch Press
A reference book like no other, it features a wide ranging survey of taboo language, both sex and toilet talk, to help you express the inexpressible. No mere catalogue of phrases, however, it's several books in one -a history of sex, a personal body manual, a social commentary, and a tasteful but biting editorial statement against the forces of restraint and convention —a delightful mix of Eric Partridge, Lenny Bruce, and Monty Python.
The Facts on File Dictionary of Clichés (The Facts on File Writer's Library) (The Facts on File Writer's Library)
by Christine Ammer
from Facts on File
The Facts On File Dictionary of Clichés explains the meanings and origins of more than 3,000 clichés and common expressions. draws from a wide variety of sources, including the Bible, Shakespeare, and other works of literature. Drawing from a wide variety of sources this book details the meaning of the cliché or expression, its source, early uses, and the history of the phrase over time and its level of use in contemporary English is also noted.
Dictionary of Cliches
by James Rogers
from Gramercy
"The best kind of reference book--one that amuses as it instructs. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker."
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALERR
IN A NUTSHELL, here's a terrific A TO Z listing of the meanings and origins of over 2,000 common or particularly interesting cliches for everyone who delights in the pleasure of words.
From the Paperback edition.
DICTIONARY OF CLICHE (Wordsworth Reference)
by Terry Freedman
from Wordsworth Editions Ltd
Barron's Pocket Guide to Clichés: "Hit the Road" (Barron's Pocket Guides)
by Arthur Bell
from Barron's Educational Series
This is an entertaining little volume, and oddly addictive to folks who love a good, tired turn of phrase. Open to the M's, for instance, and you'll find "mad as a hatter," which is significantly different from "mad as a hornet," plus a variety of "make" phrases, including "make a clean breast," "make a killing," "make a long story short," "make a monkey out of," and "make hay while the sun shines," as well as "make one tick," "make one's mark," and the simple yet evocative "make waves." Fun as it is, however, to read through the well-worn bromides and homilies, one might wonder about the Pocket Guide's practical applications.
For the foreign-born student of English, the applications are clear. These are the phrases that drive students crazy, the ones that can't be looked up in a standard dictionary and whose meanings can't be intuited by looking up each word and piecing it all together. Try deciphering "coin a phrase" or "dressed to the nines" if English isn't your first tongue. It's also handy for native speakers for understanding the clichés of other generations and regions. And it's especially worthwhile for writers learning to recognize the trite chestnuts they might want to avoid. When a phrase is so tried and true that it flows from your pen as easy as 1, 2, 3, you can look it up in the Pocket Guide and see if perhaps you might want to find a more original way to express yourself. --Stephanie Gold
A Dictionary of Platitudes, being a compendium of conversational cliches, blind beliefs, fashionable misconceptions, and fixed ideas (Perpetua book)
A dictionary of cliche as, with an introductory essay
A dictionary of clicheÌs: With an introductory essay
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