Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red: The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings and Fun Phrases

by Andrew Thompson

The Curious Origins of Everyday Sayings and Fun Phrases

Over 400 intriguing, entertaining, and often hilarious etymological journey
English is filled with curious, intriguing and bizarre phrases.

This book reveals the surprising, captivating and even hilarious origins behind 400 of them, including: "Read between the Lines", "Cat Got Your Tongue?", "Put a Sock in It", "Close, but No Cigar", "Bring Home the Bacon", "Caught Red-Handed", "Under the Weather", Raining Cats and Dogs".

Genres: Nonfiction, Reference, History, Language, Trivia

272 pages, Paperback

Published November 12, 2021

Reviews

[Meg - A Bookish Affair · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red" is a book for lovers of words and phrases. Perhaps it is also for POTUSes who think that they have made up a phrase like "priming the pump" only to be corrected and told that "priming the pump" has existed as an economics-related idiom for almost 90 years. "Priming the pump" is not included in this collection but after last week, it should not be missed after seeing story after story about that particular phrase's origins.

Have you ever used a colloquial phrase and wondered where it came from? Why do we say things like "beating a dead horse" or "head over heels?" If these questions fly through your mind, this is the book for you.

Set up like a dictionary, this book has tons of phrases, how they are used, and where they came from. Each chapter focuses on a different origins. Let me tell you, there are soooo many funny phrases that come from the British Navy and sooo many more that started because of different sports. This book is for word nerds (and POTUSes that could stand to pick up a book every once in awhile). This book doesn't need to be read in all one sitting. I know that I personally would like to keep it as a reference book for when I have questions about where certain phrases come from. Overall, this is a very interesting book that taught me many new things about why we say the funny phrases we say.

[Tehila · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually don’t rate a book before completing it. The reason for this exception - a friend’s daughter who does not enjoy reading is enjoying this book. She recognizes many of the phrases discussed by the author in this informative and far from boring book.

The book is divided into chapters according to origin, as well as having an index to locate specific phrases.

I received a preview copy of the book for review purposes. It is a fun and interesting read, and I hope Mr Thompson writes some more books like this.

[Eric Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was right up my alley (which, interestingly, was NOT a phrase explored within its pages). In fact, it was so like something I would pick up that two of my coworkers saw it cross the desk at the library where we all work and were flipping through it, noting that "this looks like something Eric would like." When they checked it in, the message popped up that I had placed a hold on the book already -- so they were 100 percent right.

I've always been fascinated by language: how it sounds, how it works, how it developed, and everything in between. This book had some gems in it (I especially enjoyed entries exploring the background of terms like "round robin"), while other places I felt that there could have been more added (for instance, the bit about "letting the cat out of the bag" failed to mention its relation to another phrase, "a pig in a poke"). On the other hand, there were some explanations that I felt were unnecessary (for example, while it's true that "on the level" can apply to stonemasonry, it can also apply to hanging pictures, building shelves, etc. -- in other words, the meaning and its background seem almost ubiquitous to me).

There were a handful of phrases I had never heard of -- among them "nineteen to the dozen," "as sure as eggs," "chance your arm," "purple patch," "chop and change," "bald as a badger," and "don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs" -- but looking at the author's background I saw that he has split his time between the UK and Australia, so I assume those are idioms in those cultures, and I should be happy that he included so many American phrases that I did recognize.

If I have one complaint, it is not one that is particular to author Andrew Thompson. Several times he stated that a saying "sprung from" this or that background (the logging industry, early 20th century politics, horse racing, etc.). I'm not sure why perfectly good past tense verbs like "sprang," "sank," "stank," and similar words have fallen out of favor to be replaced by the past participle tenses of "sprung," "sunk," "stunk," etc., but Mr. Thompson has gone right along with them. For someone who spent most of his adult life using the written word to communicate, and who now makes his living dealing in books, it's troubling... but I suppose all living languages are undergoing change all the time, and that's one of them I'll just have to get used to.

Overall, if you're a word nerd like me, you'll find a lot to like in this one.

[Mike Kowis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this silly book that tells the origins of hundreds of popular phrases that were coined long ago, but still used today. Many popular sayings from a bygone era (e.g., "close, but no cigar," "dropping like flies," and "in the doghouse") don't make logical sense on their face, but many folks today understand the general meaning. This book fills that gap by explaining the origins of each phrase in one short paragraph.

The phrases are grouped by their alleged sources, such as old nautical terms, Biblical stories, military phrases, etc. It's the kind of book you can put down and pick up at any time without getting lost. You can even skip around if you choose. The only downside I found was that some phrases have more than one purported source, and it's impossible to know which source is the true origin of those phrases. Overall, I definitely recommend this book if you are a lover of the English language and/or a writer (like me). It should also be interesting to history buffs.

[Jon Koebrick · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good compilation of fun and interesting facts on the history of phrases and expressions. There were many little things I learned. This is a good book to pick up occasionally and read a bit such that it would make a good bathroom reader or end table book. It was not an especially good book to read for longer, more continuous reading experiences. 3 stars and a book that requires the appropriate mindset to enjoy.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband got this as a gift for me a year or so ago because I would always look up these types of phrases to learn their origins as many of them are so interesting. This is a fun and enjoyable little book that I like to page through every once in a while. It’s also nice to be able to look up these phrases without actually having to stare at a screen.

[Krystie Herndon · Rating 4 out of 5]

As fluffy as these types of books are, I still enjoy reading about the origins of sayings we use daily, such as "the last straw," or "the whole kit and kaboodle," or "beat around the bush." Knowing that my own daily vocabulary is anchored by sayings that are hundreds of years old, reassures me that computerese is not so close to obliterating human thought.

[Stephen Journeay · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author provides origins of about 500 phrases, including start from scratch to pull the wool over your eyes.

It is a fun little book that you can just pick up and read a few pages, skip around, and then put it down.

If you have an interest in words, this book is worth the price.

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the origin of over 400 phrases.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My review is published at https://www.copyediting.com/book-revi....

[Peter Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Promising idea that loses a little the further one gets into the book

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting! I enjoyed learning where so many of these phrases that I use actually come, some not at all what I expected.

[Don Paske · Rating 3 out of 5]

OK book. I disagree with a couple of his explanations.

[Barbra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting. Perfect for picking up and putting down when you only have a few minutes at a time to read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda interesting on how all little sayings we use all the time came about. If you are a person that likes to have "lots of useless information" which it's not than this is a great book for you.