The fun and fascinating follow-up to the international bestseller Red Herrings and White Elephants

Why do people put their "skeletons in a closet," "have a hunch," "get the cold shoulder," "get dressed up to the nines," or "call a spade a spade?" These phrases are used every day, yet most people have little or no idea where most of them come from. In Black Sheep and Lame Ducks, Albert Jack takes readers on a journey through ... read more>>>

For students competing for the decreasing pool of college scholarships, writing a stellar entrance essay can make all the difference. With discrete explanations of vital grammar rules, common usage errors, and the other key concepts people need to refer to most often, Grammar Essentials For Dummies provides crucial information to help students communicate accurately and effectively. This guide is also a perfect reference for parents who need to rev... read more>>>

SOL STEINMETZ, a well-known lexicographer, has published more than thirty-five dictionaries and reference books, including the recent Semantic Antics: How and Why Words Change Meaning. He lives in New Rochelle, New York.

Chapter 1

The Dawn of the Twentieth Century:

1900-1909

Life during the first decade of the 1900s was closer to the past than to the future. The great advances of the twentieth century were sti... read more>>>