A Hog on Ice
& Other Curious Expressions
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · October 1, 2002
From “mad as a wet hen” to “corn dodger” and “hobgoblin,” Charles Funk’s collections of curious words and expressions are a treasure trove of word origin.
We earn from qualifying purchases.
- Who it’s for
- Readers curious about the origins of everyday expressions
- Themes
- Origins of expressions, Meanings of everyday sayings
- Genres
- Word Origins, Language Humor, Curiosities & Wonders
Nearest books
Matched by what the books are about, then ordered by what their readers also loved. Most of these share its genre: Word Origins.
PhraseologyBarbara Ann Kipfer PhD, Barbara Ann Kipfer58% matchAlso shares Curiosities & Wonders
Words From HellJess Zafarris57% matchAlso shares Language Humor
How to Speak BritChristopher J. Moore55% matchAlso shares Language Humor
Biting the Wax TadpoleElizabeth Little50% matchAlso shares Language Humor
The Madman's GalleryEdward Brooke-Hitching50% matchAlso shares Curiosities & Wonders
Our Magnificent Bastard TongueJohn McWhorter50% match
Curious BehaviorRobert R. Provine50% match
The Mother TongueBill Bryson49% matchAlso shares Language Humor
For younger readers: In a Pickle, There's a Frog in My Throat!, Mistakes That Worked
Start with three books, and this one can be the first.
Members get a new edition every morning: a route out from their books to essays, research and talks, with the reason for each.
Start with this bookAbout this book
From “mad as a wet hen” to “corn dodger” and “hobgoblin,” Charles Funk’s collections of curious words and expressions are a treasure trove of word origin. Where did expressions like this come from anyway? Now finally we’ll know what “letting the cat out of the bag” or “going on wild-goose chase” refers to. In this fun collection of over 400 curious expressions and sayings, Dr. Funk explains the meanings that we use in everyday speech without even thinking about it.
Continue reading
He has traced them back through the years-in some cases centuries-in an effort to determine their sources, to find out what the original allusions were, or, at the very least, to give us his expert opinion when facts cannot be traced.
Where it sits
| Word Origins | 98% |
|---|---|
| Language Humor | 41% |
| Curiosities & Wonders | 32% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Education Resources
- Teaching Methods
- Social History
- Writing as a Career
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Fiction Writing
- Writing Nonfiction & Memoir
- Historical Linguistics
- Word Origins
- Authors
- Charles E. Funk
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- October 1, 2002
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Origins of expressions · Meanings of everyday sayings
- Reading lane
- Education Resources