To 'put the cart before the horse', have 'the cheek of the devil' or be 'a pillar of society' - these are just some of the thousands of idioms that have become an integral part of the English language. The Penguin Dictionary of English Idioms looks at a vast range of examples, providing concise definitions and explaining how they should be used. This practical guide is arranged by theme, making it possible to compare all the idioms in that subject area and find the right one for the occasion, whether in writing or speech.
The numerical mistakes mentioned by the author have been corrected, making this, as mentioned, one of the great reference classics.
"Power nap," "the Oprah effect," "girl power"-these are just some of the recent figures of speech to have entered our language. This dictionary has been completely revised for its second edition and includes 2,000 new idioms. It provides clear and concise definitions and explains how the idioms should be used. At the same time, the dictionary's thematic arrangement makes it possible not only to study and compare all the idioms in a given subject area, but to match the right one to the right occasion.