Dictionary Of Proverbs And Their Origins

Description

Did you know that if the cap fits refers to the traditional jester's cap with bells on it so anyone wearing such a cap could be expected to do something foolish? Or that the ancient Greeks believed that it was camels rather than elephants that never forgot? The Spanish writer Cervantes defined a proverb as a short sentence drawn from long experience and Linda and Roger Flavell trace the origins of over 400 of these invaluable pieces of wisdom. The entries are interspersed with mini-essays on such diverse subjects as The Proverbial Cynic and When there's a R in the Month. The result is essential reading for anyone who delights in words.

Author description

Linda and Roger Flavell have been studying the oddities of English for over 25 years. Linda has worked as a writer and as an English teacher both in England and overseas and has co-authored several dictionaries of etymologies for Kyle Books. The late Roger also travelled widely and was a Lecturer in Education at the Institute of Education, University of London.