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  • Heavens to Betsy!: & Other Curious Sayings by Charles E. Funk book cover
  • Heavens to Betsy!: & Other Curious Sayings by Charles E. Funk book cover
  • Heavens to Betsy!: & Other Curious Sayings by Charles E. Funk book cover
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Heavens to Betsy!: & Other Curious Sayings

by Charles E. Funk

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Where everyday sayings come from

$17.19 USD
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Paperback New English

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AlbakiReads Editorial

Where everyday sayings come from

Charles E. Funk gathers more than 400 familiar English expressions and traces the stories attached to their origins. The entries range across sayings such as “mad as a hatter,” “hold your horses,” and “bat out of hell,” connecting everyday speech to classical sources, historical events, literature, frontier humor, and human behavior. Organized around individual phrases, the book offers a browseable way to explore how colorful idioms became part of common usage, with etymology framed through the anecdotes and cultural references behind each saying.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Fans of etymology and word origins
  • Browsers interested in English idioms and everyday language
  • Readers who enjoy short, phrase-by-phrase reference books

Themes

EtymologyEnglish idiomsEveryday speechLanguage historyCultural origins

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Book overview

He's as mad as a hatter!

Whether it's like a bump on a log or a bat out of hell, these expressions have been around forever, but we've never really known why ... until now! Finally Dr. Funk explains more than 400 droll, colorful, and sometimes pungent expressions of everyday speech. Derived from classical sources, historic events, famous literature, frontier humor, and the frailties of humankind, each of these sayings has an interesting story behind its origin.

If you've ever wondered why when you're in a hurry you are told to hold your horses, wonder no more!

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