Red Herrings And White Elephants

Red Herrings And White Elephants
Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Metro Publishing
Total Pages: 119
Release: 2007-04-10
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 1782192743

Have you ever wondered what phrases such as 'square meal', 'load of old codswallop', 'egg on your face' or 'in the limelight' mean? Where do they come from? Have you ever taken a moment to wonder what we say actually means? The origins of hundreds of common phrases are explained in this irreverent journey through the most fascinating and richest regions of the English language. In a book that takes you all over the world, from nautical origins to food and drink terms, once you have learnt one phrase, you will be eager to learn them all! From the drop of a hat to the bitter end - you'll be surprised and intrigued and you'll never speak English in the same way again.

Pop Goes the Weasel

Pop Goes the Weasel
Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 234
Release: 2009-09-29
Genre: Literary Criticism
ISBN: 1101162961

From the international bestselling author of Red Herrings and White Elephants—a curious guide to the hidden histories of classic nursery rhymes. Who was Mary Quite Contrary, or Georgie Porgie? How could Hey Diddle Diddle offer an essential astronomy lesson? Do Jack and Jill actually represent the execution of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette? And if Ring Around the Rosie isn’t about the plague, then what is it really about? This book is a quirky, curious, and sometimes sordid look at the truth behind popular nursery rhymes that uncovers the strange tales that inspired them—from Viking raids to political insurrection to smuggling slaves to freedom. Read Albert Jack's posts on the Penguin Blog.

The Old Dog and Duck

The Old Dog and Duck
Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2009-09-03
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 014192991X

This is a book for everyone who has ever wondered why pubs should be called The Cross Keys, The Dew Drop Inn or The Hope and Anchor. You'll be glad to know that there are very good - strange and memorable - reasons behind them all. After much research about (and in) pubs, Albert Jack brings together the stories behind pub names to reveal how they offer fascinating and subversive insights on our history, customs, attitudes and jokes in just the same way that nursery rhymes do. The Royal Oak, for instance, commemorates the tree that hid Charles II from Cromwell's forces after his defeat at Worcester; The Bag of Nails is a corruption of the Bacchanals, the crazed followers of Bacchus, the god of wine and drunkenness; The Cat and the Fiddle a mangling of Catherine La Fidele and a guarded gesture of support for Henry VIII's first, Catholic, wife Catherine of Aragon; plus many, many more. Here too are even more facts about everything from ghosts to drinking songs to the rules of cribbage and shove hapenny, showing that, ultimately, the story of pub history is really the story of our own popular history

The Book of General Ignorance

The Book of General Ignorance
Author: John Mitchinson
Publisher: Crown Archetype
Total Pages: 290
Release: 2007-08-07
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0307405516

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Misconceptions, misunderstandings, and flawed facts finally get the heave-ho in this humorous, downright humiliating book of reeducation based on the phenomenal British bestseller. Challenging what most of us assume to be verifiable truths in areas like history, literature, science, nature, and more,The Book of General Ignorance is a witty “gotcha” compendium of how little we actually know about anything. It’ll have you scratching your head wondering why we even bother to go to school. Think Magellan was the first man to circumnavigate the globe, baseball was invented in America, Henry VIII had six wives, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain? Wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again. You’ll be surprised at how much you don’t know! Check out The Book of General Ignorance for more fun entries and complete answers to the following: How long can a chicken live without its head? About two years. What do chameleons do? They don’t change color to match the background. Never have; never will. Complete myth. Utter fabrication. Total Lie. They change color as a result of different emotional states. How many legs does a centipede have? Not a hundred. How many toes has a two-toed sloth? It’s either six or eight. Who was the first American president? Peyton Randolph. What were George Washington’s false teeth made from? Mostly hippopotamus. What was James Bond’s favorite drink? Not the vodka martini.

What Caesar Did For My Salad

What Caesar Did For My Salad
Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2010-09-02
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0141929928

Did you know that the Cornish pasty was invented to protect tin miners from arsenic poisoning, or that the word 'salary' comes from Roman soldiers being paid their wages in salt? Why do we eat goose (or turkey) at Christmas? Is the Scotch egg actually from Scotland and what did some retired crusaders have to do with French toast? Who was the original Earl Grey and what sauce was inspired by Parliament? What dish was invented by Greek bandits on the run? Why were hot cross buns seen as magical and what's so rebellious about a haggis or medicinal about a gin and tonic? Did you know what the romantic history is behind the Bakewell Pudding? Albert Jack tells the strange tales behind our favourite dishes and drinks and where they come from (not to mention their unusual creators). What Caesar Did For My Salad is bursting with fascinating insights, characters and enough stories to entertain a hundred dinner parties.

Unearthed

Unearthed
Author: Amie Kaufman
Publisher: Hachette+ORM
Total Pages: 398
Release: 2001-08-01
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1368012299

From the New York Times best-selling author duo Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner comes a "literally breathtaking" new sci-fi series about a death-defying mission on an alien planet. Now in paperback! When Earth intercepts a message from a long-extinct alien race, it seems like the solution humanity has been waiting for. The Undying's advanced technology has the potential to undo environmental damage and turn lives around, and their message leads to the planet Gaia, a treasure trove waiting to be explored. For Jules Addison and his fellow scholars, the discovery of an ancient alien culture offers unprecedented opportunity for study . . . as long as scavengers like Amelia Radcliffe don't loot everything first. Despite their opposing reasons for smuggling themselves onto the alien planet's surface, they're both desperate to uncover the riches hidden in the Undying temples. Beset by rival scavenger gangs, Jules and Mia form a fragile alliance . . . but both are keeping secrets that make trust nearly impossible. As they race to decode the ancient messages, Jules and Mia must navigate the traps and trials within the Undying temples and stay one step ahead of the scavvers on their heels. They came to Gaia certain that they had far more to fear from their fellow humans than the ancient beings whose mysteries they're trying to unravel. But the more they learn about the Undying, the more Jules and Mia start to feel like their presence in the temple is part of a grand design -- one that could spell the end of the human race . . .

Black Sheep and Lame Ducks

Black Sheep and Lame Ducks
Author: Albert Jack
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2010-05-04
Genre: Reference
ISBN: 1101187530

The fun and fascinating follow-up to the international bestseller Red Herrings and White Elephants Why do people put their "skeletons in a closet," "have a hunch," "get the cold shoulder," "get dressed up to the nines," or "call a spade a spade?" These phrases are used every day, yet most people have little or no idea where most of them come from. In Black Sheep and Lame Ducks, Albert Jack takes readers on a journey through the curious- and often bizarre-origins of hundreds of their favorite idioms and expressions. For example, "wearing your heart on your sleeve" comes from the Middle Ages, when a lady would "give her heart" in the form of a handkerchief pinned to the sleeve of a knight who was about to go into battle. And calling someone the "black sheep in the family" refers to a thousands- year-old belief that a black lamb in a flock was unpopular because its fleece was undyeable and therefore less valuable. With Black Sheep and Lame Ducks, any language-lover can feel like a "Smart Aleck"-and also know exactly who that was.

Wolfie's Secret

Wolfie's Secret
Author: Nicola Senior
Publisher: Faber & Faber
Total Pages: 35
Release: 2017-07-04
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 0571331254

Wolfie was no ordinary wolf. He was a wolf with a difference. He had a special, super secret that nobody knew . . .Wolfie is supposed to be a big bad wolf. Unfortunately though, he's not very good at it - and worse yet, he has a terrible secret. Instead of gobbling up little pigs, Wolfie would much rather be wolfing down . . . cakes! Yes, it's true - this big, burly wolf is a star baker in the making. But can he keep his secret from that pesky Little Red?This stunning debut from author/illustrator Nicola Senior is a playful take on an old favourite tale, and one sure to make you laugh as you root for a wonderful new hero.

Secret

Secret
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Publisher: Kensington Books
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2014-01-28
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 0758294387

“Multiple secrets come to a boil” for a Merrick brother in a pressure cooker of a paranormal from the New York Times bestselling author of Spirit (Kirkus Reviews). Nowhere is safe. Not even home . . . Nick Merrick is stretched to the breaking point. Keep his grades sky-high or he’ll never escape his hometown. Keep his brother’s business going or the Merricks will be out on the street. Keep the secret of where he’s going in the evenings from his own twin—or he’ll lose his family. Keep his mind off the hot, self-assured dancer who’s supposed to be his “girlfriend’s” partner. Of course there’s also the homicidal freak Quinn has taken to hanging around, and the Elemental Guide counting the hours until he can try again to kill the Merrick brothers. There’s a storm coming. From all sides. And then some. Nick Merrick, can you keep it together? Praise for Brigid Kemmerer and The Elemental Series “Magic, suspense, and enough twists to keep you reading until sunrise. An incredible start to the series!” —Erica O’Rourke, award-winning author of Torn “Five hot guys, one tough heroine, plenty of romance and non-stop action . . . Elemental is the new series to watch.” —Inara Scott, author of The Marked “A refreshingly human paranormal romance . . . read fast and keep that heart rate up.” —Kirkus Reviews