Cliches

Dictionary of Word Origins: A History of the Words, Expressions and Cliches We Use

Dictionary of Cliches

"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.

The Facts on File Dictionary of Clichés (The Facts on File Writer's Library) (The Facts on File Writer's Library)

From "beware of Greeks bearing gifts" to "sink or swim", this dictionary of cliches explains the meanings and origins of more than 3000 cliches and common expressions. Drawing from a wide range of sources, including the Bible, Shakespeare, and other works of literature, this book details the meaning of the cliche or expression, its source, early uses, the history of the phrase over time, and its level of use in contemporary English. Sample entries include: "been there done that" - a phrase from the mid-eighties to express world-weariness, boredom, or empathy; "get a life" - a contemporary way of telling someone to find their own interests, social life, or concerns; and "in your face" - a rude confrontational expression of extreme contempt that originated in 1970s basketball.

DICTIONARY OF CLICHE (Wordsworth Reference)

Bawdy Language: Everything You Always Wanted To Do But Were Afraid To Say

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.

Barron's Pocket Guide to Clichés: "Hit the Road" (Barron's Pocket Guides)

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 practical, fast-reference guide for home or office, this new addition to Barron's "Pocket Guides" series takes on the subject of cliches--their origins, meanings, examples used within the context of a sentence, and in many cases, the regions where the idiom is used most often. This volume is also a great way for ESL students to gain insights into informal American English as it is really spoken.

A dictionary of cliche as, with an introductory essay

A dictionary of clicheÌs: With an introductory essay

A Dictionary of Clichés, an Entertaining and Highly Useful Compilation of All the Well Worn Phrases Better Left Unsaid!

A dictionary of clicheÌs