Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep

Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141039566
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 210

Book Description
The English language is crammed with colourful phrases and sayings that we use without thinking every day. It�s only when we�re asked who smart Alec or Holy Moly were, where feeling in the pink or once in a blue moon come from, or even what letting the cat out of the bag really means that we realize that there�s far more to English than we might have thought. Luckily enough, we now have Albert Jack. And rather than resting on his laurels after the enormous success of Red Herrings and White Elephants, he has continued his search around the world, exploring the origins of hundreds more phrases. The fascinating stories he has uncovered come from the rich traditions of the navy, army and law to confidence tricksters and highwaymen, from the practices of ancient civilizations to Music Hall and pubs. Determined to chase each shaggy dog story to the bitter end, his discoveries are even stranger and more memorable this time round. Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep is a compulsively readable, highly enlightening look at the phrases we use all the time but rarely consider. From the skin of your teeth to the graveyard shift � you�ll never speak (or even think) English in the same way again.

Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep

Author: Albert Jack
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781846148453
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description

Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep

Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781981439256
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 236

Book Description
Albert Jack's Shaggy Dogs and Black Sheep is a compulsively readable, highly enlightening look at the phrases we use all the time but rarely consider. The English language is crammed with colourful phrases and sayings that we use without thinking every day. It's only when we're asked who smart Alec or Holy Moly were, where feeling 'in the pink' or 'once in a blue moon' come from, or even what letting the cat out of the bag really means that we realize that there's far more to English than we might have thought. Luckily enough, we now have Albert Jack. And rather than resting on his laurels after the enormous success of Red Herrings and White Elephants, he has continued his search around the world, exploring the origins of hundreds more phrases. The fascinating stories he has uncovered come from the rich traditions of the navy, army and law to confidence tricksters and highwaymen, from the practices of ancient civilizations to Music Hall and pubs. Determined to chase each shaggy dog story to the bitter end, his discoveries are even stranger and more memorable this time round. From the skin of your teeth to the graveyard shift - you'll never speak (or even think) English in the same way again. Albert Jack has become something of a publishing phenomenon, clocking up hundreds of thousands of sales with his series of bestselling adventures tracing the fantastic stories behind everyday phrases (Red Herrings and White Elephants), the world's great mysteries (Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs) nursery rhymes (Pop Goes the Weasel) pub names (The Old Dog and Duck and food history (What Caesar did for My Salad

Pop Goes the Weasel

Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141909307
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 320

Book Description
Mr Jack has been nimble and he’s been quick, searching through the history of nursery rhymes and he’s found out all kind of plum tales, just like little Jack Horner. He's unearthed the answers to some very curious questions... Who were Mary Quite Contrary and Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? And if Ring a Ring a Roses isn’t about catching the plague, then, what is it really about? The ingenious book delves into the hidden meanings of the nursery rhymes and songs we all know so well and discovers all kinds of strange tales ranging from Viking raids to firewalking and from political rebellion to slaves being smuggled to freedom. Children have always played at being grown up and all kinds of episodes in our history are still being re-enacted today in a series of dark games (Oranges and Lemons traces a condemned man’s journey across London to his execution, Goosie Gander is about dragging a hidden Catholic priest to prison) And there are many many more... Full of vivid illustrations and with each verse reproduced, here are a multitude of surprising stories you won’t be able to resist passing on to everyone you know. Your childhood songs and rhymes will never sound the same again.

Why Siblings Matter

Author: Naomi White
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317247167
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 168

Book Description
Many people grow up with at least one sibling. These siblings are often ‘fellow travellers’ through adversity or significant life events; they can act as a source of support for some children while a source of conflict for others. For these reasons, siblings are a potentially powerful influence on development and this book is one of the first of its kind to provide an overview of cutting-edge psychological research on this important relationship. Why Siblings Matter is a cornerstone text on siblinghood. Integrating findings from a 10 year longitudinal study alongside wider research, it provides a lifespan perspective examining the impact of sibling relationships on children’s development and well-being. This text situates siblings in their historical, developmental and family context, considers the influence of siblings on children’s development and adjustment, and provides an introduction to new research on siblings in diverse contexts. The authors discuss sibling relationships in varied populations such as siblings with disabilities, siblings in different cultures and siblings in non-traditional families, while also considering the practical implications of research. Covering both classical studies and new results this book offers take-home messages for promoting positive sibling interactions. It will be invaluable reading for students and researchers in developmental psychology and family studies and professionals in education, health and social work.

Excuse My French: Fluent Français without the faux pas

Author: Rachel Best
Publisher: Kyle Books
ISBN: 0857838415
Category : Foreign Language Study
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description
Life together in a bi-lingual relationship for Rachel and Jean-Christophe created many amusing miscomprehensions and often sheer bewilderment. How do you translate, 'Don't beat around the bush' and why does 'to be left high and dry' in English, become 'rester en carafe' in French? Excuse My French! is their solution to all this conversational confusion. The book comprises of 700 expressions in English and in French, divided into 12 chapters, which cover all the essential topics in life - including food and drink, money, business work and sex. It presents the essential idioms and metaphors of the 'other' language in a fresh, light-hearted way that won't make you feel like you're back in a classroom. Packed with quizzes, glossaries and interesting detail on the historical contexts for how phrases were coined, and illustrated throughout with line drawings, it will improve language skills and promote the Entente Cordiale between tourists, students and business associates, as well as encourage relationships to blossom between les Gaulois et les Rosbifs all over the world!

They Laughed at Galileo

Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Constable
ISBN: 1472116712
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 238

Book Description
From the wireless to the computer, and from hula hoops to interplanetary travel, inventions and discoveries have changed our lifestyles in ways that would have astounded our ancestors. Each of them was originally developed by visionaries who dreamt of the seemingly impossible, but who were opposed by an array of experts publicly declaring that ‘It cannot be done.’ Well, yes it could . . . And here's the story of how those dreamers overcame the odds against them.

Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs

Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1588368696
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 273

Book Description
FOOLED BY FABLES? LED ON BY LEGENDS? MYTH-GUIDED? WONDER NO MORE, MYSTERY-PHILES: THE TRUTH IS IN HERE! What in the world (or out of it) made those giant crop circles? Did skydiving skyjacker D. B. Cooper really get away with it? Is Bigfoot a big fake? Are ETs just BS? If you’re tired of scratching your head over persistent puzzlers like these, mystery-buster Albert Jack has the cure for your quizzical itch. He’s gone hunting for the truth behind more than thirty of the most famous and baffling conundrums in history. Did a conspiracy or a calamity kill Marilyn Monroe? Is the Bermuda Triangle a tropical tall tale? Was a dead Paul McCartney replaced by a doppelgänger? How did Edgar Allan Poe meet his doom? In quick-witted entries on each enigmatic topic, Loch Ness Monsters and Raining Frogs offers answers certain to surprise, enlighten, amuse, and perhaps disappoint true believers. But Albert Jack never fails to fascinate and entertain as he spills the beans about the odd, the eerie, and the (no longer) unexplained.

Red Herrings And White Elephants

Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Metro Publishing
ISBN: 1782192743
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 119

Book Description
Have you ever wondered what phrases such as 'square meal', 'load of old codswallop', 'egg on your face' or 'in the limelight' mean? Where do they come from? Have you ever taken a moment to wonder what we say actually means? The origins of hundreds of common phrases are explained in this irreverent journey through the most fascinating and richest regions of the English language. In a book that takes you all over the world, from nautical origins to food and drink terms, once you have learnt one phrase, you will be eager to learn them all! From the drop of a hat to the bitter end - you'll be surprised and intrigued and you'll never speak English in the same way again.

The Black Sheep Knitting Mystery Series

Author: Anne Canadeo
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476704635
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 759

Book Description
An eBook boxed set, including While My Pretty One Knits; Knit, Purl, Die; A Stitch Before Dying; and an excerpt from Anne Canadeo's new book!