The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings And Origins of More Than 3,500 Terms And Expressions (Writers Library),Books,Free Shipping,0816062803,

	The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings And Origins of More Than 3,500 Terms And Expressions (Writers Library) by Christine Ammer
	List Price $19.95 Our Price $13.57 You Save $6.38 (32%) Prices subject to change. Eligible for FREE Shipping See details Availability Usually ships in 24 hours
	Marketplace New from $13.56 Used from $12.21
Product Details Binding Paperback Dewey Decimal Number 423.1 EAN 9780816062805 ISBN 0816062803 Manufacturer Checkmark Books Number Of Items 1 Number Of Pages 544 Publication Date March 30, 2006 Publisher Checkmark Books Availability Usually ships in 24 hours Product Description This updated and expanded edition of a popular title explains the meanings and origins of almost 4,000 cliches and common expressions. Each entry in 'The Facts On File Dictionary of Cliches, Second Edition' includes the meaning of the cliche or expression, its origin and early uses, the historical development of the phrase, and its present-day usage. For this second edition, the author has added hundreds of new cliches, including many from the business world, such as 'drum up,' 'fork over,' and 'go belly-up'; from the military, such as 'the balloon goes up,' 'body count,' and 'mickey mouse'; and from popular novels, especially mysteries and thrillers. Other new cliches include 'bells and whistles,' 'yada yada yada,' and 'whatever.' 'The Facts On File Dictionary of Cliches, Second Edition' is the largest, most comprehensive, and most entertaining reference of its kind. Fully indexed and cross-referenced, this essential resource will prove invaluable for students, writers, and general readers. Christine Ammer acknowledges in the preface to this second edition of her dictionary of cliches that it may seem oxymoronic for her to speak of updating a dictionary of cliches by adding new cliches. But of course every cliche is new at some blurry point along a time line, just as others gradually fall out of favor. Thus, as a linguist whose concern is current usage, Ammer has not only added new ones (new in the sense of having recently become established as cliches) but she has culled and discarded many older cliches--such as 'alas and alack' and 'blot one's copybook'--that appeared in the first edition but that are rarely seen or heard nowadays. Taking the long view of the historian, Ammer regards a collection such as hers as giving form to 'the particularity of an era's attitude.' A pointed example is drawn from the testimony of a young soldier pressed by her comrades to participate in harassment of prisoners at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Her response, when agreeing to join in, was 'OK. Whatever.' This example, along with several others, appears in the entry for whatever, which Ammer says is 'one of the most recent additions to clichedom,' noting, too, that it is used very loosely. Her own definition--'in any case; anything goes; as you wish'--is certainly adequate, though it hardly accounts for the word being sometimes 'irksome, and even incendiary, as well as nonchalant.' In this connection, she adduces the actor Russell Crowe's assault on a hotel clerk who uttered the word with a greater measure of disrespect than Crowe thought appropriate. (It's an absolute delight to find such matters brought up in discussing meaning and usage.) The thoroughness of this entry is typical of the whole, and the same thoroughness may be found in the indexing, which permits both phrasal and keyword searches. Recommended for all libraries wanting to keep their collection of English-language resources current. Harold Cordry Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved 'Recommended for public and academic collections,' - Choice 'While several resources on cliches are currently available, this one stands apart for the large number of citations,,.Recommended for academic and public libraries.' - Library Journal' This updated and expanded edition of a popular title explains the meanings and origins of almost 4,000 cliches and common expressions. Each entry in 'The Facts On File Dictionary of Cliches, Second Edition' includes the meaning of the cliche or expression, its origin and early uses, the historical development of the phrase, and its present-day usage. For this second edition, the author has added hundreds of new cliches, including many from the business world, such as 'drum up,' 'fork over,' and 'go belly-up'; from the military, such as 'the balloon goes up,' 'body count,' and 'mickey mouse'; and from popular novels, especially mysteries and thrillers. Other new cliches include 'bells and whistles,' 'yada yada yada,' and 'whatever.' 'The Facts On File Dictionary of Cliches, Second Edition' is the largest, most comprehensive, and most entertaining reference of its kind. Fully indexed and cross-referenced, this essential resource will prove invaluable for students, writers, and general readers. Christine Ammer is an author of more than two dozen reference books on subjects ranging from classical music to women's health. For the past 15 years she has concentrated on language. Her other books on words and phrases include The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms; Cool Cats, Top Dogs, and Other Beastly Expressions; Fighting Words: From War, Rebellion, and Other Combative Capers; and The New A to Z of Women's Health. She also writes a column on terms from military history for Military History Quarterly. She lives in Lexington, MA. Customers who bought this item also bought The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs (Writers Library) The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins (Facts on File Writer's Library) Dictionary of Cliches Why Do We Say It: The Stories Behind the Words, Expressions and Cliches We Use America's Popular Sayings: Over 1600 Expressions on Topics from Beauty to Money and Everything In Between Customer Reviews for: The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings And Origins of More Than 3,500 Terms And Expressions (Writers Library) Rating - A recommended reference acquisition for both high school and college-level holdings The meanings and origins of literally thousands of words and definitions come to life in a newly expanded, updated edition of a popular title, which adds hundreds of new cliches from all walks of life -including the business world as well as popular culture - and provides an indexed, cross-referenced survey of all. It's a recommended reference acquisition for both high school and college-level holdings - and many a public library will also find it ... Read More Rating - stuffed to the gills with cock and bull stories After an art instructor of mine expressed a passing interest in the original meanings of expressions, I decided to search the Amazon to find him an appropriate Teacher Appreciation Day gift book. I could not believe the numerous results that popped up not only from my initial query, but from trails like "customers who bought this item also bought..." and "explore other similar items...". Jeez, who knew - and why didn't I know - that all these wonderful ... Read More See all books by author Christine Ammer

Books : The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings And Origins of More Than 3,500 Terms And Expressions (Writers Library)