Spilling the Beans on the Cat’s Pajamas by Judy Parkinson is a short volume of explanations and stories about some of the best loved, well used expressions that we use in daily life. Phrases such as “the apple of my eye”, “talking turkey”, and “put a sock in it” are colorful additions to our language and this small volume tells us where they came from and how they were introduced.

From advertising to Shakespeare, Homer to social networking our ever flexible language has absorbed these picturesque phrases and added them into our daily lexicon. Even here on Library Thing we use certain phrases to enhance our communications with each other, after all haven’t we all been “hit with a book bullet” or two on this site?

While this book barely scratches the surface of popular quips and phrases, it’s a diverting and clever read for anyone who enjoys learning about language. ( )

Have you ever wondered exactly where some of our more common phrases come from? Judy Parkinson sets out to give a brief definition and history of some colorful, common English sayings.

I found this book interesting and I learned a lot. For example, "Put a sock in it!" comes from the days of the old gramophones. They didn't have volume controls, so to turn the record player down, owners would put a sock inside the bell the sound emerged from.

While I did enjoy learning the meaning behind some of these sayings, I have to say that the definitions were a bit dry. Take this definition of "shoot the moon": "This is an expression meaning to leave without paying one's bills or rent, or to remove swiftly one's household goods under cover of night to avoid their seizure by a landlord or creditor." This seemed like a good place to have a little fun or lighten the tone, but instead it felt more like a scholarly work. This is a short little book at 169 pages, so I wasn't expecting the scholarly tone.

This is an interesting look at some of the origins of our language, and I recommend it for those curious about such things. Christmas is coming up, and I think this would make a good stocking stuffer if you have any lovers of language in your life.

Thanks to the publicist for sending me a copy for review. ( )

A nifty little book chock full of all those phrases that you hear everyday but still boggle the mind from time to time. Easily used as a reference book should you have an encounter with an unknown phrase, but also perfect for random fact lovers the world over as the meaning behind some of the phrases is certainly obscure but where they originated from is all the more curious.... ( )