WHY DO WE SAY IT?

Son-of-a-gun (British sea slang), sour grapes (the allusion is to the fable of the fox who tried to reach some grapes hanging up on a vine), from A-1 (origin Lloyds of London) and Abracadabra, the cabalistic word shown here as a triangle symbol, to Xmas (Greek letter Chi written X) and Zest, the book explains the intriguing origins of hundreds of unusual words and expressions. For your delectation, entertainment and perusal, handily organised in alphabetical form, the answers to these etymological mysteries uncover the roots of the modern English language and shares facts and trivia along the way. There are even ten quizzes for extra fun and solutions. 286pp.