Who Put Butter in Butterfly...and Other Fearless Investigations Into Our Illogial Language Paperback – Picture Book, January 1, 1990

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Who Put the Butter in Butterfly?David FeldmanA fun and interesting look at the everyday phrases used so often in the English language. This book is just what trivia junkies crave. No, it is not great literature, so what? Just look at the cover and the title..... What were you thinking, "War and Peace?", get real. This is a fun romp into those odd expressions that we all use in everyday life and for the most part have no idea where they come from. I for one enjoyed the book very much. Some of the phrases listed in this book, like: Dog Days, Lady Bugs, the Real McCoy's and Hoodwink I have known for years. Others like: Stolen Thunder, Pin Money, or Tinkers Dam, (and many others ), I had not a clue. All and all a non-stuffy and amusing book that gives the reader an entertaining look at why we say the things we do. If we can't understand our past and laugh a bit at it, the future becomes increasingly gray.In Frith,Spence The Elder"Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc"M. Addams

loved it -wonderful read

One of the reviewers on Amazon.com I think correctly described this book as "bathroom reading." I agree wholeheartedly. The book reads like an encyclopedia more than anything else, and it's not recommended to read it in large sections (like I did) because you'll be bored quickly. Apparently its part of a series, and this one focused exclusively on language (Where did the term Peeping Tom come from? What does it mean to mind your Ps & Qs?, etc). I suppose if I read a few explanations every day while in the bathroom the novelty wouldn't have wore off so quickly. Probably a good bet for those word-lovers more than anyone else.