In a manner of speaking : phrases, expressions, and proverbs and how we use and misuse them / Colin Mcnairn

Introduction; 1. Expressions Made Memorable; 2. Don't Take The Expression Literally; 3. What Do You Mean By that Expression?; 4. Coded Expressions; 5. All Over the Map: The Geography of Expressions; 6. The Players in Expressions: Getting to Know Them Without a Program; 7. The Evolution of Expressions; 8. Metaphorically Speaking Through Sayings; 9. The Style and Form of Sayings; 10. Making Sense of Sayings; 11. The Origins and The Commercial Applications of Sayings; 12. Things Go Better with Latin; 13. Animal Images 14. Body Language15. Food for Thought; 16. Drink as an Afterthought; Endnotes; Bibliography; Index

What do the whole kit and caboodle, the whole shebang, the whole megillah, the whole enchilada, the whole nine yards, the whole box and dice, and the full Monty have in common? They're all expressions that mean the entire quantity, and they're all examples of the breadth and depth of the English-speaking world's vocabulary. From the multitude of words and phrases in daily use, the author of this delightful exploration into what we say and why we say it zeroes in on those expressions and sayings and their variations that are funny, quirky, just plain folksy, or playfully dressed up in rhyme or alliteration. Some may have become cliches that, as it's said with tongue in cheek, should be avoided like the plague. Others have been distorted, deemed politically incorrect, or shrouded in mystery and must bear some explanation. Among the topics the author delves into are expressions that shouldn't be taken literally (dressed to kill and kick the bucket), foreign expressions that crept into English (carte blanche, carpe diem, and que sera, sera), phrases borrowed from print ads and TV commercials (where there's life, there's Bud and where the rubber meets the road), animal images (a barrel of monkeys and chasing your tail), and food and drink (cast your bread upon the water, chew the fat, bottom's up!, and drink as a lord). Here's a book for everyone who delights in the mysteries of language and the perfect gift for all the wordies in your life.