Allen's Dictionary of English Phrases is the most comprehensive survey of this area of the English language ever undertaken. Taking over 6000 phrases: it explains their meaning: explores their development and gives citations that range from the Venerable Bede to Will Self. Crisply and wittily written: the book is packed with memorable and surprising detail: whether showing that 'salad days' comes from Antony and Cleopatra: that 'flavour of the month' originates in 1940s American ice cream marketing: or even that we've been 'calling a spade a spade' since the sixteenth century. Allen's Dictionary of English Phrases is part of the Penguin Reference Library and draws on over 70 years of experience in bringing reliable: useful and clear information to millions of readers around the world – making knowledge everybody's property.