March Hares and Monkeys' Uncles: Origins of the Words and Phrases We Use Every Day

by Harry Oliver

Why is a March hare mad? Why do we sometimes call ourselves a monkey’s uncle? What are people really doing when they go and see a man about a dog? And what is the original meaning of flying by the seat of your pants? While we might choose our words carefully, we rarely think about the origins of the many phrases, place names, and expressions we use every day. Yet, behind these words lie marvelous stories, steeped in the weird and wonderful traditions of everyday life. From names of streets and public houses to the names of countries, seas, and oceans, this book answers the questions you've always had about the language we all use.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Reference, Humor

258 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[Chelsea Duncan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had an interesting premise and enjoyable illustrations and I liked the ease of being able to dip in and out of the book. There are some strong etymological facts in amongst, and some interesting things scattered throughout. However, most of the apparently everyday phrases we use were just explained simply and without much extra detail or background - as if the author was explaining them to a very little child who had, ironically, never heard these everyday phrases before. So it was just an alright read - worth it for some of the more elusive facts, but a bit stale elsewise.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read in memory of my Gran. One of her favourite little books. Enjoyed learning more about what's behind some of the sayings my family and I throw out there sometimes. Recommended as a quick read. Can be picked up and put down to suit.

[Michael Arnold · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book!

[Cliff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little book with derivation of some well known words and sayings

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice mix of word trivia, mostly British English.

[Beorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting almost pocket friendly book full of bite-sized nuggets of informations on the origins of a lot of common colloaquialisms and slang phrases.

The only downsides to the book for me personally is that there doesn't appear to be any kind of index or way of quickly accessing a certain phrase which can make it annoying if you want to look something up in particular. Also in a number of cases you're left with the feeling that the author has only put the bare minimum he needs to rather than giving a little more detail, making it a more rewarding read.
For example, in explaining how New York got it's name, the book simply states 'when Britain captured Manhattan', rather than mentioning the rather large detail of the fact that the British only actually 'captured' Manhattan after a series of bloody 'Spice Wars' against the Dutch in the Far East, with the Dutch being forced to cede Manhattan in exchange for (I think) the key spice island of Java which the British navy had under siege. Instead of that extra colour added to the story, you're left with just 'when Britain captured Manhattan, they changed the name to New York'.

Overall it's an interesting worthwhile first few steps in the world of lexicography though if you're interested in this sort of thing, don't just leave it at this book as you'll sell yourself short. There are far more in-depth, more detailed similar books out there.

[Xanthi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am enjoying these series of books. Easy to pick up and put down, so I have been reading them in spurts, during my breaks at work. There is a fair bit to learn from this book and it is presented in an entertaining way. I have not heard of some of the phrases explained, but most are familiar. I realized that despite using some, I only understood their use and meaning, but not their origins. There were a few explanations of words or phrases that seemed vague and clutching at straws (There is one such phrase! See what I did there?) - and one that I disagreed with ('nightmare'), but on the whole, the book was fascinating.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

Discursive musings on the origins of figurative phrases. By no means an academic work, with much contentious speculation. But an easy bite-size bathroom read. Worrying though that neither the author, "writer and editor" Harry Oliver nor his editor, Adam Parfitt, seems aware of the difference between "palate" and "palette", "populous" and "populace" ...

[Derek Walsh · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a collection of the origins of various words and phrases, not complete enough to be useful and not really interesting enough to deserve reading from cover to cover. Best for bathroom reading.

[David Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

It does make you think how complicated life is. But after reading this life is not so difficult. You need to know how.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting