Join Susie Dent, lexicographer extraordinaire and Queen of Countdown<\/i>‘s Dictionary Corner, on a curious and exceedingly interesting adventure through all the very best RED HERRINGS, COCK AND BULL STORIES and NINE-DAY WONDERS in the English language.
Who was SWEET FANNY ADAMS?<\/b>
What’s the dramatic true story behind STEALING THUNDER?<\/b>
Why is it CHANCING YOUR ARM when you take a risk?<\/b>
What do bears have to do with LICKING INTO SHAPE?<\/b>
Or robbers with PULLING SOMEONE’S LEG?<\/b>
Why are CIRCLES VICIOUS?<\/b>
And, what’s so bad about a WHITE ELEPHANT? <\/b><\/p>\n
‘Nobody on earth knows more about the English language than Susie Dent’ Gyles Brandreth<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Susie Dent, Britain’s cleverest lexicographer, linguistic expert and much-loved national treasure, explores all the very best red herrings, cock and bull stories, white elephants and nine-day wonders in the English language. There are enough stories to furnish a hundred conversations in a wonderful collection for everyone who loves words.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"product_brand":[],"product_cat":[954],"product_tag":[3334,5524,6975],"class_list":{"0":"post-100322","1":"product","2":"type-product","3":"status-publish","5":"product_cat-reference","6":"product_tag-language-reference-general","7":"product_tag-lexicography","8":"product_tag-linguistics","9":"pa_book_author-dent-susie","10":"pa_cover-hardback","11":"pa_dewey-422-edition23","12":"pa_imprint-john-murray","13":"pa_language-english","14":"pa_pages-xvi-413","15":"pa_publisher-john-murray","16":"pa_readership-general-trade-code-k","18":"first","19":"onbackorder","20":"taxable","21":"shipping-taxable","22":"purchasable","23":"product-type-simple"},"yoast_head":"\n