Inventing English: The Imaginative Origins of Everyday Expressions

Is your town a Utopia . . . or a Peyton Place? Is your child a Goody Two-Shoes . . . or a Dennis the Menace? Is your boss an example of the Peter Principle . . . or, even worse, a Simon Legree? From Lotharios and Lolitas to sour grapes and Trojan horses, our everyday lives are filled with extraordinary expressions-and Inventing English explains the obscure and fascinating literary origins of more than 200 of these linguistic creations. Whether rooted in the ancient classics or the Sunday funny papers, the stories behind these words and phrases will shed new light-and offer endless delight-for anyone who loves literature and language.