Who Said That First?

Reviews / Votes

Featured on -- Today Programme BBC Radio 4 Featured on -- Radio 5 Live BBC Radio 5 Featured on BBC World Service 'Who Who Who gave Santa his catchphrase? Father Christmas will soon be chortling "Ho, Ho, Ho!" to excited children - but where did he get that from? New book Who Said That First? explores the often obscure origins of more than 500 common phrases. Some may sound, well, Beyond the Pale, and you might say: Naff Off! But do you know where a Blood Mary tipple gets its name?' The Sun 'this book's happy mission is to restore credit to the creative people who first said (or at least wrote down) "hit the nail on the head"..."small but perfectly formed"... "I'll eat my hat"..., and so on... Cryer also unearths some surprising facts... Cryer has worked hard and writes a pleasingly compact prose. Or, in other words that probably won't catch on: he gives good microstyle.' The Guardian 'a brilliant book exploring the curious origins of common words and phrases. If you've ever pondered where 'Absence makes the heart grow fonder' comes from, you'll like this.' St Christopher's Live Your Life e-zine 'This book will open up many a debate in pubs and homes everywhere.' Best of British 'This is one of those delightful books that is so enjoyable to get lost in but can also be very useful for settling an argument... From classical terms such as 'bread and circuses' to modern adjectives like 'metrosexual', there are so many rich references here.' The Good Book Guide 'The kind of delightful book you get lost in, and that is also useful for settling an argument about the origin of certain sayings.' The Good Book Guide