Flying by the Seat of Your Pants: Surprising Origins of Everyday Expressions

Let's "cut to the chase" and "make no bones about it"-this book will have you "pleased as punch."

Sowing your wild oats, throwing in the towel, painting the town red...Harry Oliver reveals the fascinating stories behind these and other strange turns of phrase steeped in the weird and wonderful history and traditions of everyday life. From quirky terms to street and city names and more, this book answers the questions you never thought to ask.

• What ancient empire coined the phrase "green with envy"?
• Who was the first person to "get someone's goat"?
• Which writer first penned, "I'll eat my hat!"