Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red

The English language is riddled with phrases that are complete nonsense. Ever met “a monkey’s uncle,” seen a “red-handed” thief, or “put a sock in it” when asked? You know the real meaning of these common expressions, but do you know where, why, and how these idioms entered America’s vernacular in the first place? Hair of the Dog to Paint the Town Red uncovers and explains the amazing and bizarre origins of 400 such phrases. Breezy and fun to read, this book of word trivia is far fro…