Starting with the ancient Chinese and ending with contemporary Europeans and Americans, The World in a Phrase tells the story of the aphorism through spirited a

Have you ever wondered why we talkabout 'buttering someone up' or wherethe phrase 'it's raining cats and dogs'actually comes from? What does it meanto 'comb the

A cross between an autobiography and an introductory to linguistics which will serve multiple purposes and appeal to both students and the general reader alike.

The story of the world in the last five thousand years is above all the story of its languages. Some shared language is what binds any community together and ma