The Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches: Meanings And Origins of Thousands of Terms and Expressions (Writers Library)

How can something so full of interesting facts be so dull to read? Nevertheless, it's true - pedestrian writing and inadequate editing manage to drag what should be a fascinating read down to the level of just another book stuffed with stuff.

For a logophile such as myself, this book is a treat. Since acquiring it, I've made it a habit (as I've done with some other books in the Facts on File collection) to randomly review at least ten of the entries per day, as "work," and often peruse it just for fun.

A good example of an entry is "all in a dither: In a jittery, agitated state. This expression dates from the early 1800s, when it also was put as *of a dither*. The noun dither comes from the Middle English verb didderen, meaning to 'tremble.' A newer synonym is *in a tizzy,* dating from the first half of the 1900s. Its origin is not known."

Aside from the source of the phrase, this is a useful book to learn *what not to say.* If a word or phrase is clichéd, it shouldn't be used. In a nutshell, one could consider this book a safe haven from the etymological equivalent of giving up the ghost.

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 important.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

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 references existed! I picked out five of the most highly rated ones and set about vetting them for the best. The winner: the Facts on File Dictionary of Cliches.

With almost 4,000 entries, this certainly qualifies as the most extensive book of clich? listings that I've come across so far. There are a plethora of old favorites that may have their origins in the Bible, poetry, literature, or historical developments that have long since sunk into obscurity; and there are 500 newer, i.e. late 20th Century updates like "no-brainer" and "bad hair day". Each entry describes the meanings, origins and early uses (when known), development and present-day useage. The author also provides sample quotes just like "real" dictionaries do.

For my purposes, I was also searching for a clich? reference book that was both entertaining *and* brief in descriptions and explanations (my teacher is a bit dyslexic). FOFDOC was also the best compromise between those two somewhat conflicting qualities. I could have gone with Myron Korach's Common Phrases and Where They Come From, but some of the stories were a bit long-winded (clich?s are infectious, no?) and besides, it wasn't nearly as extensive at only about 500 listings. On the other hand (ooooh, there I go again!), James Rogers' Dictionary of Cliches was the closest contender in terms of quality, but still fell short (I realize now that I just can't help myself) in quantity at only @ 2,000.

I found myself referring to the FOFDOC often in the last few weeks while I waited for Teacher Appreciation Day. I am thinking of getting a copy for myself now, and by extension for my children when they'll be old enough to need a writer's reference. Now, what to do with the other four?
-Andrea, aka Merribelle