The Writer's Thesaurus
By Dr Oliver Tearle
Here’s a quiz question for you. Who was the first high-profile writer to use the phrase ‘mad as a hatter’? How about we narrow it down a little more, and ask: which high-profile Victorian writer first used the phrase ‘mad as a hatter’? Continue reading “The Curious Meaning and Origin of the Phrase ‘Mad as a Hatter’”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
‘To every thing there is a season’ is a famous Biblical quotation. It is found in the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Old Testament. This short book is actually chock-full of oft-quoted lines: the phrases ‘nothing new under the sun’, ‘the sun also rises’, ‘eat, drink and be merry’, and ‘vanity of vanities’ also originate in Ecclesiastes. Continue reading “‘To Every Thing There Is a Season’: Meaning and Origin”
By Dr Oliver Tearle
‘Fools rush in where angels fear to tread’ is a phrase which has the ring of an anonymous proverb handed down over the centuries, a pithy apercu whose author and true origins are both lost in the mists of history. Continue reading “‘Fools Rush in Where Angels Fear to Tread’: Meaning and Origin”