As this book clearly demonstrates there are hundreds, if not thousands, of common phrases we use all the time with little or no knowledge of where they come from. Come to think of it, "little or no knowledge" is itself a common phrase, as is "come to think of it". If you're curious as to how some of these phrases originated, "then by all means", "give this book a go". By all means and give it a go. Yeah, I know two more common phrases. Sorry, "I couldn't help myself". "I could go on and on" ... ( )

This is a fascinating volume and an oddity from ALA publishing. It turns out that you can purchase quantities of this title from Skyhorse for promotional giving and gifts. It is a fun compilation of all kinds of phrases that adults, not teens have heard and probably use regularly. Keeping up with the Joneses, go down like a lead balloon, Ms., muck-racking, a place for everything and everything in its place, skating on think ice, things that go bump in the night… and on and on and on. For each phrase there is a story behind it and a usage guide. The trivia expert will bask in this one. Great bathroom reading…or, go to sleep reading it rather than counting sheep. You won’t find the current teen lingo here. They will probably think you are old-foggy telling them stories about your phrases, but just think of the terms they are going to have to tell their children about their language… Have fun with this one.