Ocean State Libraries

Thirty common English phrases, such as "a chip off the old block" and "cry over spilled milk" are illustrated and explained.

Discusses the origin and meaning of 21 sayings used in AmericanEnglish.

Rhyming text and illustrations introduce a variety of collectivenouns such as a "drift of swans" and a "clutch of eggs."

A collection of English-language trivia shares facts about words and language usage, from "almost" being the longest English word with its letters in alphabetical order to "stewardesses" being the longest word typed with the left hand.

From "lamebrain" to "feet of clay," a heaping handful of English idioms, similes, metaphors, and other colorful turns of phrase.

An alphabetical listing of common figures of speech, along with their definitions and origins. Cat got your tongue? Penny for your thoughts? Come again? Every day, idioms bring color to our speech. Since they don't really mean what they say, idioms can stump even the native English-speaker. Marvin Terban makes understanding idioms "as easy as pie" with the revised Scholastic Dictionary Of Idioms. Explanations for, and origins of, more than 700 everyday...

"Learn English with this fun course for complete beginners. Simple exercises and lively audio will have you speaking and reading more than 500 words in no time! With free online audio."--