Allen’s English Phrases

Written by Robert Allen
Review by Ann Oughton

This wonderful book offers, for the first time on such a scale, a scholarly and systematic treatment of thousands of idiomatic phrases used in modern written and spoken English. It is interesting to discover that the expression, ‘to set one’s teeth on edge’, was first used in the 16^th century, as was, ‘as right as rain’. With evidence in the form of quotations to support their history there are over 6,000 phrases compiled by Penguin’s leading lexicographer. This is a must on anyone’s bookshelf especially for anyone researching the history of idiomatic language or looking for that elusive bon mot for their historical hero or heroine.