Common Phrases and Where They Come from - Hardcover

Discover the fascinating stories behind interesting phrases and expressions.

Have you ever wondered where the phrase "raining cats and dogs" came from? In the myths of the Teutons, an ancient people who occupied Jutland around 100 B.C., the wind was pictured as a huge dog who served as chief attendant to Odin, the Norse god of wisdom and war, and was responsible for the cosmos. They thought that when it rained very hard, Odin's dog, in the form of the wind, was chasing a cat, who took the form of the rain. So the Teutons believed that when it poured, Odin dropped "cats and dogs" from the sky.This is just one of the many fascinating stories behind the dozens of idioms and common phrases we use every day. (5 3/4 x 8 1/2, 228 pages)