Book Revew: "Why you Say It" by Webb Garrison

I love language, words and history, so I was excited to get to review Why You Say It: The Fascinating Stories Behind over 600 Everyday Words and Phrases by Webb Garrison. This book is chock full of every day words and phrases and the history behind them.

The book is very well organized. It is primarily organized by type of saying, i.e. "The World of Entertainment," "The Great Outdoors," and "Making Fun of Others." Within each chapter is an alphabetical listing of each word or phrase within it. There is also an alphabetical index of every saying in the book.

I really enjoyed the educational aspect of this book, too. Not only did I learn new words and phrases (Donnybrook means a loud fight or fracas), but I also learned where some most common phrases come from (pretty penny is derived from a gold piece coined in 1257. Not very many were minted, so when a tradesman would see one, they were considered rare, good luck and were still shiny! Garrison writes, "Obsolete so long that it is seldom found even in a valuable collection, the 13th-century coin retains a tenuous hold in American speech after more than 700 years.")

I find that kind of information fascinating! If you do too, you should definitely read this book. For more information, visit Thomasnelson.com or  buy it on Amazon.com



Thomas Nelson has provided you with a complimentary copy of this book. This review is my own opinion and is not influenced by anyone.