Stock Photo: Cover May Be Different
Red Herrings and White Elephants: The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day
by Jack, Albert
- Used
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN 10
- 0060843373
- ISBN 13
- 9780060843373
- Seller
-
Frederick, Maryland, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
Harper. Used - Good. Good condition. Very Good dust jacket. A copy that has been read but remains intact. May contain markings such as bookplates, stamps, limited notes and highlighting, or a few light stains.
Synopsis
Mad hatter . . . pie in the sky . . . egg on your face. We use these phrases every day, yet how many of us know what they really mean or where they came from?From bringing home the bacon to leaving no stone unturned, the English language is peppered with hundreds of common idioms borrowed from ancient traditions and civilizations throughout the world. In Red Herrings and White Elephants, Albert Jack has uncovered the amazing and sometimes downright bizarre stories behind many of our most familiar and eccentric modes of expression:If you happen to be a bootlegger, your profession recalls the Wild West outlaws who sold illegal alcohol by concealing slender bottles of whiskey in their boots. If you're on cloud nine, you owe a nod to the American Weather Bureau's classification of clouds, the ninth topping out all others at a mountainous 40,000 feet. If you opt for the hair of the dog the morning after, you're following the advice of medieval English doctors, who recommended rubbing the hair of a dog into the wound left by the animal's bite.A delightful compendium of anecdotes on everything from minding your p's and q's to pulling out all the stops, Red Herrings and White Elephants is an essential handbook for language-lovers of all ages.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Wonder Book
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- S16L-00182
- Title
- Red Herrings and White Elephants: The Origins of the Phrases We Use Every Day
- Author
- Jack, Albert
- Book Condition
- Used - Good
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN 10
- 0060843373
- ISBN 13
- 9780060843373
- Publisher
- Harper
- Place of Publication
- New York
- This edition first published
- November 1, 2005
Terms of Sale
Wonder Book
RETURNS are cheerfully accepted up to 30 days. We ship out within 1-2 business days and U.S. Standard Shipments usually arrive within 6-9 business days, Priority 3-6.
About the Seller
Wonder Book
Biblio member since 2003
Frederick, Maryland
About Wonder Book
With 3 stores less than 1 hour outside the DC/Metropolitan area (1 in Gaithersburg, 1 in Frederick and 1 in Hagerstown, MD), we have the largest selection of books in the tri-state area. Wonder Book and Video has been in business since 1980 and online since 1997. We have over 1 Million books for sale on our website and another 1 Million books for sale in our 3 locations. We have a very active online inventory and as such, we can receive multiple orders for the same item. We fill those orders on a first come first serve basis, but will refund promptly any items that are out of stock. Since 1980 it has always been about the books. ALL kinds of books from 95 cent children\'s paperbacks to five figure rare and collectibles. A merging of the old and new is where we started, and it is where we are today. Our retail stores have always been places where a reader can rush in looking for a title needed for a term paper that is due the next day, or where bibliophiles can get lost \"in the stacks\" for as long as they wish. In 2002 USAToday recognized us as \"1 of 10 Great Old Bookstores\", and we have been featured in numerous other newspaper and TV stories including Washington Post and CSpan.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Jacket
- Sometimes used as another term for dust jacket, a protective and often decorative wrapper, usually made of paper which wraps...
Collecting BiblioMysteries
Want to get meta? Bibliomysteries are mystery stories which deal in some significant way with books and the world associated with books. Browse this fascinating subgenre of mystery novels.
The Importance of Dust Jackets
Is the dust jacket of a book worth holding on to? Consider its form, its function, and its beauty. Learn more about dust jackets and their importance to your collection.
