Books › Scholastic dictionary of idioms
Scholastic dictionary of idioms
First published 1996 · 245 pages
A playful and illuminating treasure hunt through the weird, wacky history of everyday English.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like unlocking a secret code to the English language. It is a breezy, highly browsable experience that invites readers to flip around, landing on familiar phrases and suddenly discovering their bizarre, historical roots. The tone is consistently playful and accessible, never bogging the reader down in dense academic jargon, but rather treating language like a fascinating puzzle. It moves at a brisk pace, perfect for dipping in and out of during a rainy afternoon. Budding writers, curious kids, and anyone who has ever taken a figure of speech too literally will find themselves delighted by the quirky origins of everyday sayings, leaving them with a newfound appreciation for the colorful weirdness of human communication.
- Mood
- lighthearted
- inquisitive
- breezy
- Tone
- educational
- playful
- accessible
- curious
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- the quirks of language · historical origins of everyday speech · linguistic playfulness
- The writing
- Clear, concise, and engagingly straightforward, designed to demystify complex phrases for young minds.
- The arc
- A steady, satisfying journey of linguistic discovery that turns confusion into clarity.
- Who it's for
- Curious kids, budding writers, and language lovers who want to know why we say the weird things we say.
About the book
An alphabetical listing of common figures of speech, along with their definitions and origins.
Description from Open Library.
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