The Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms by Marvin Terban, John DeVore (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

This guide to idioms provides the student with an opportunity to bring color to their speech every day. Included are idioms from Native American and African American speech as well as the Bible, Aesop, and Shakespeare. 256 pp.

Publishers Weekly

Humor and illustrations add spice to over 600 definitions and origins of common idiomatic phrases. Not to let the cat out of the bag, but this one's it's a barrel of monkeys. Ages 8-up. (Feb.)

Children's Literature

How many idioms do you know? Better yet, did you know that a phrase you often use may be an idiom? Do you know its origin? Some of these expressions go back thousands of years. This collection offers lots of amusement as a quick reference and for leisurely browsing. The phrases are listed alphabetically by their first word. Each entry contains a sentence using the idiom, followed by its meaning, and a brief dissertation on its origin. Where appropriate, the expression is cross-referenced to a similar one. Cartoon characters in the margins add a little zest, but the real flavor is found in the original text. Alphabetic and keyword indexes round out the volume.

BookList

Terban explains the meanings and origins (if known) of more than 600 idioms and proverbs in this intriguing book. Although no sources are provided, Terban has obviously done a great deal of research. In some cases, such as "open a can of worms," he discusses the meaning of an idiom without really explaining its origin and bizarre originality. In others, like "face the music," he provides more than one possible explanation. Each page includes one lightly comical line drawing of a child expressing feelings such as quizzical, annoyed, amused, or distressed. Not only is this a good resource for teachers who discuss idioms in the classroom but it also has some appeal for browsers, though readers who come looking for the logic behind the English language may leave thinking it "curiouser and curiouser."

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