49 - A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom

[T.]

I think I'm going to go with "winter is coming" and finish off another of the A Song of Ice and Fire books.

[Theresa]

"He Who Shall Not Be Named" - from Harry Potter - has to qualify.



Love the Hamilton: The Revolution suggestion - 'in the room where it happens' - 'my shot' - 'rise up'.

Too bad that almost every suggestion, I have already read..except 1984. Guess it is time for it!

[oshizu]

"banana republic" from O. Henry's short story collection "Cabbages and Kings" (named after that Walrus and Carpenter poem).

That's what I'll be reading. And it's nice and short!

[Bücherbummlerblog]

Gone with the Wind for "Tomorrow is another day".

[Christine]

T. wrote: "I think I'm going to go with "winter is coming" and finish off another of the A Song of Ice and Fire books."

Ooh, good one!

[Jess]

I'm going with The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because I've definitely heard of people with unpredictable personalities being referred to with reference to this book.

"Are we getting Jekyll or Hyde today?"

[Jess]

With regards to "It was a dark and stormy night". I was sure that this phrase came from the poem The Highwayman. However, I just looked the poem up and it doesn't actually say this phrase. Here is the first stanza:

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.

This goes to show a) how ubiquitous the 'dark and stormy night' phrase is and b) how great the imagery in that poem is that it conjures up that phrase through metaphor alone.

Here is a link to the complete poem:

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem...

Reading it again, I am a bit concerned about how obsessed I was with this poem at the age of about 9 and that we studied in in primary school. It is pretty gruesome and morbid!

[Joyce]

Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There is the origin of "portmanteau words" when Humpty Dumpty explains the strange language in Jabberwocky:
"You see it's like a portmanteau—there are two meanings packed up into one word."

Also Malapropisms originate with Mrs Malaprop in Sheridan's play The Rivals

[Joyce]

Apparently "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse" originates in The Godfather

[Tracy]

Theresa wrote: ""He Who Shall Not Be Named" - from Harry Potter - has to qualify. ..."

HAHA. This is what I'm going to start calling my girls father :-)

( I think its only fair since he's been known to refer to me as "Maleficent ")


"Too bad that almost every suggestion, I have already read..except 1984. Guess it is time for it! "

I read 1984 last year and really it was a fascinating book to read, especially now.

[Lindi]

I tried with 1984 a couple years ago and it didn't hook me. I guess I'm going to try again.

[Conny]

Would the denomination for an entire subgenre work? I've had The Complete Works of HP Lovecraft sitting on my Kindle for ages and never got around to reading even one of the books/story collections in it. "Lovecraftian" (or "cosmic") horror is a common enough term that even has its own Wikipedia article^^ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovecra...

[Linda]

I might go with this one: Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture

[Heather]

I'm definitely thinking Stephen King.
"Redrum", "Cujo", "Like Carrie on Prom night".

[Thegirlintheafternoon]

I'm going with The Souls of Black Folk for "double consciousness."

[Christine]

Conny wrote: "Would the denomination for an entire subgenre work? I've had The Complete Works of HP Lovecraft sitting on my Kindle for ages and never got around to reading even one of the books/s..."

Yup it counts! There’s also stuff like the very word “Necronomicon,” the phrase “the Innsmouth look,” and the concept of a Sanity Check in role playing games!

[Ellie]

I've just thought of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which would be a quick read at least. The man behind the curtain, there's no place like home, I'm melting... I'm not sure how many of them are originally from the book and not just the film but there must be a few in there.

[Cendaquenta]

What about Pride and Prejudice - "it is a truth universally acknowledged"?

[Johanne]

Cendaquenta wrote: "What about Pride and Prejudice - "it is a truth universally acknowledged"?"

Oh yes.

[Cendaquenta]

Oh, and as a somewhat easy option, there's just about any Spider-Man book, for the phrase "with great power comes great responsibility".

[Cristin]

So, per the Wikipedia page, Heinlein's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress is not the origin of "there ain't no such thing as a free lunch", but was what made the phrase popular/common knowledge. So would it count?

[Lynette]

Mary Poppins?

[[deleted user]]

I'm thinking of reading Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, since that book kinda put the term into common lexicon...

[Shelley]

Supposedly the phrase "make a jaunte" in terms of sci-fi space travel came from The Stars My Destination. I've already read a large chunk of the normal classics, so this is what I have.

[Cornerofmadness]

Ellie wrote: "I've just thought of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz which would be a quick read at least. The man behind the curtain, there's no place like home, I'm melting... I'm not sure how many of t..."

This is the one I put on my list to read.

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

I just thought of:

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father...prepare to die!" & "As you wish" from The Princess Bride too! =D

I'll edit my early post in the thread to include it as well! ;)

[Tracy]

Stacey wrote: "I just thought of:

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father...prepare to die!" & "As you wish" from The Princess Bride too! =D

I'll edit my early post in the thread to include..."


This book frustrated me so much LOL. I liked the movie better.

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

Tracy wrote: "This book frustrated me so much LOL. I liked the movie better. "

Oh dear! I haven't actually read the book! I'd probably still choose that over something Shakespeare though! xD

[Tracy]

Stacey wrote: "Tracy wrote: "This book frustrated me so much LOL. I liked the movie better. "

Oh dear! I haven't actually read the book! I'd probably still choose that over something Shakespeare though! xD"

Its a love it or hate it book from what I've seen. Cant wait to see which group you fall into :-)

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

Tracy wrote: "Stacey wrote: "Tracy wrote: "This book frustrated me so much LOL. I liked the movie better. "

Oh dear! I haven't actually read the book! I'd probably still choose that over something Shakespeare t..."

Might be waiting a while unless I get to it in 2018! xD I think I've slotted Lord of the Rings here for my pick but I would like to read it someday for sure because I always loved the movie growing up!

[Nadine in NY]

Stacey wrote: "I just thought of:

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father...prepare to die!" & "As you wish" from The Princess Bride too! =D

I'll edit my early post in the thread to include..."

oh that's clever! too bad for me, I read the book this year! (Audiobook is read by Rob Reiner, who will always be Michael Stivick to me - I mean, I know he was the director, but hearing his voice brings me right back to his "Meathead" days - so that was fun) The book is okay, definitely worth reading. But the movie was better :-)

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

Nadine wrote: "oh that's clever! too bad for me, I read the book this year! (Audiobook is read by Rob Reiner, who will always be Michael Stivick to me - I mean, I know he was the director, but hearing his voice brings me right back to his "Meathead" days - so that was fun) The book is okay, definitely worth reading. But the movie was better :-)"

It's interesing that Rob Reiner does the audiobook! All In the Family is actually where I first saw/came to know of him too! My dad used to love watching that show ahaha! :)

[Giulia]

I think I'm going to read A Pair of Blue Eyes by Thomas Hardy, which apparently originated the expression "cliffhanger".

[Jen]

Stacey wrote: "I just thought of:

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father...prepare to die!" & "As you wish" from The Princess Bride too! =D

I'll edit my early post in the thread to include..."

"We'll never survive!" "Nonsense you're only saying that because no one ever has!"

ROUS!

[Nadine in NY]

Jen wrote: "Stacey wrote: "I just thought of:

"My name is Inigo Montoya, you killed my father...prepare to die!" & "As you wish" from The Princess Bride too! =D

I'll edit my early post in the th..."


I say these all the time!! it's a toss up if I quote The Incredibles more or The Princess Bride more.

"I don't think that word means what you think it means!" (which is a paraphrase, but definitely INSPIRED by TPB)

and

"anybody want a peanut?"

and

"have fun storming the castle!" (which I think was only in the movie, not the book)


I could keep going :-) but I'll stop.

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

It's very quotable for sure!! :D

[The Chapter Conundrum (Stacey)]

OHH just had another brainwave for this prompt!

"Tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet" from L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables

here I go editing my early post again! xD

[Serendipity]

I've made my decision in a fairly roundabout and backward way. My original plan was to read whichever play was going to be performed in my city's Shakespeare in the park event in a couple of months. Last night I was horrified to discover there wasn't going to be one this year - I've been attending with various combinations of my kids for over ten years. Anyway, once I recovered from my shock I went in search of a list of the Board's 'best' works. Subjective I know. Turns out I'd read the all the A grade ones.. except King Lear. Then I checked to see which idioms or phrases came from Lear. Of course there are a few including "more sinned against that sinning" , " full circle" , "every inch a king" and "that way madness lies". So King Lear it is for me.

[Debbie]

What about One Thousand and One Nights? "Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves," "flying carpet ride," and "genie in a bottle" come from that title.

[Johanne]

'Open sesame', yes Debbie that totally works.

[Krissy]

I'm going with:


Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
"Bond, James Bond"


But if you haven't read it this is a great book:

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
"You is kind. You is smart. You is important."

[Maryjo]

Don Quixote by Cervantes - it's where "pot calling the kettle black" comes from. And I've had more than a few people in my lift use the phrase "tilting at windmills" to refer to foolish endeavors.

[Megan]

Krissy wrote: "I'm going with:


Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
"Bond, James Bond"


But if you haven't read it this is a great book:

[book:The..."

The Help could also count for "Minny's pie" LOL

[Lindi]

Krissy wrote: "I'm going with:


Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
"Bond, James Bond"


But if you haven't read it this is a great book:

[book:The..."

I hope you get on better with Casino Royale than I did. Go into it with an objective mind- Fleming's treatment/portrayal of women was hard for me to stand.

[Ian]

I really wanted to read The Princess Bride this year and didn't get to it, so I'll probably slip it in here.

[Tracy]

I love that I'm seeing The Outsiders on other peoples plans :-)

[Marie-Claude]

I've heard enough references to people chasing their great white whale to think Moby Dick would count, should anyone want to tackle this leviathan of literature (sorry for the pun, I just had to).

[Jen]

Tracy wrote: "I love that I'm seeing The Outsiders on other peoples plans :-)"

There are several books with The Outsiders as a title too FYI.

[Juniper]

"bite the bullet" apparently became popular after rudyard kipling's The Light That Failed was published.

[Idit]

All Quiet on the Western Front. The book name became an idiom