Spilling the Beans on the Cat’s Pajamas
- Author: Judy Parkinson
- Hardcover: 176 pages
- Publisher: Readers Digest (September 30, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1606521713
- ISBN-13: 978-1606521717
ABOUT SPILLING THE BEANS ON THE CAT’S PAJAMAS: POPULAR EXPRESSIONS – WHAT THEY MEAN AND HOW WE GOT THEM
Strike while the iron’s hot and bone up on the origins of your favorite expressions. Cat got your tongue? Well, for Pete’s sake, use this collection of colorful expressions to enrich your everyday speech. This book spills the beans on our best-loved euphemisms and most curious sayings, explaining their fascinating origins and the remarkable stories that surround them. It rounds up the usual suspects — the catch phrases, quotations, and expressions that keep our language flourishing — and makes them easy to find in a convenient A-to-Z format.
Did you know that . . .
The expressions all that glitters is not gold and apple of the eye have each been in use for more than a thousand years?
To bark up the wrong tree comes from the sport of raccoon hunting?
Embarrassed parents can thank the songwriter Cole Porter for the euphemism the birds and the bees?
MY THOUGHTS
I received a copy of Spilling The Beans On The Cat’s Pajamas. I’m 44 and am used to hearing different sayings and euphemisms. I know what many of them mean, but not all. I know where very few come from. Fast forward to today’s teens like my son TJ, who is 15. There have been times that I have used a saying and he didn’t know what it meant. This book is the perfect book to have around at times like that. The phrases covered in the book are arranged alphabetically. The book does not need to be read in order, you can do so or you can just skip around or flip to an expression you want to know the meaning of. I enjoyed learning about phrases we use often, such as “Break a leg”, “Sleep tight”, and “Speak of the devil”, as well as phrases I have heard but don’t use like “Kiss the blarney stone” and “See a man about a dog” . I recommend this book for readers of all ages, because the material is interesting and relevant to everyone and because you can learn things about people and society and where we’ve come from.
MORE INFO
Judy Parkinson is a graduate of Bristol University. She is a producer of documentaries, music videos, and commercials, and won a Clio award for a Greenpeace ad. Parkinson has published four books and has contributed to a show of life drawings at the Salon des Arts, Kensington.
For more information, please visit www.rdtradepublishing.com or follow the series on Facebook.
WIN IT!
ONE winners will receive a copy of Spilling The Beans On The Cat’s Pajamas.
HOW TO ENTER. (MANDATORY)
To enter visit leave a comment here with one expression you’d like to know the origin of.
BONUS ENTRIES – LOTS OF THEM!
1 – Leave a comment on MY NEW FACEBOOK PAGE stating which giveaway you’re entering. (sidebar)
1 – Subscribe to my newsletter. (sidebar)
1 – Subscribe to my RSS feed. (sidebar)
1 – Follow me on Twitter AND leave your Twitter name here. (sidebar)
1 – Blog about this giveaway, including a link here.
1 – Place my button on your blog. (in sidebar)
1 – Visit one of my other blogs – From Val’s Kitchen, Val’s Views, Game Review Network and Living With Special Needs – and leave a comment on any post there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned there. (That’s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry.
1 – Visit HereAndThere.US (my Mom) and leave a comment on any post there. Then return here and leave a comment on this post telling me one thing you read or learned on my Mom’s blog. (That’s two comments you need to leave for this bonus entry, one there and one here.) Unlimited entries for this method of entry. Leave an additional comment for each entry you qualify for. You must have completed the first entry according to the instructions to be eligible for any bonus entries.
THE SMALL PRINT.
The winner will be selected using the “And the winner is” plugin. US addresses only please, no PO Boxes. This contest will end on Thursday 04/28/11 at 11:59 pm est. If you’ve entered any of my giveaways before then you know that only comments containing all of the requested information will be eligible for entry. The winner must contact me to confirm they wish to receive the prize within two days of my email notifying them they’ve won. Good luck to everyone!
The product featured was provided free of cost to me for the sole purpose of product testing and review. This post has not been monetarily compensated and is based on the views and opinions of my family and/or self. Please note that the opinions reflected in this post have not been influenced by the sponsor in any way.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED.
