{"product_id":"black-sheep-and-lame-ducks-the-origins-of-even-more-phrases-we-use-every-day-paperback","title":"Black Sheep and Lame Ducks: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eAlbert Jack\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe fun and fascinating follow-up to the international bestseller \u003ci\u003eRed Herrings and White Elephants\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Why do people put their \"skeletons in a closet,\" \"have a hunch,\" \"get the cold shoulder,\" \"get dressed up to the nines,\" or \"call a spade a spade?\" These phrases are used every day, yet most people have little or no idea where most of them come from. In \u003ci\u003eBlack Sheep and Lame Ducks\u003c\/i\u003e, Albert Jack takes readers on a journey through the curious- and often bizarre-origins of hundreds of their favorite idioms and expressions. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For example, \"wearing your heart on your sleeve\" comes from the Middle Ages, when a lady would \"give her heart\" in the form of a handkerchief pinned to the sleeve of a knight who was about to go into battle. And calling someone the \"black sheep in the family\" refers to a thousands- year-old belief that a black lamb in a flock was unpopular because its fleece was undyeable and therefore less valuable. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With \u003ci\u003eBlack Sheep and Lame Ducks\u003c\/i\u003e, any language-lover can feel like a \"Smart Aleck\"-and also know exactly who that was.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlbert Jack's \u003ci\u003eRed Herrings and White Elephants\u003c\/i\u003e was a huge international hit and was on the bestsellers list for sixteen months. His second, \u003ci\u003eShaggy Dogs and Black Sheep\u003c\/i\u003e was another success: selling over 70,000 copies. He is also the author of \u003ci\u003eThat's Bollocks!\u003c\/i\u003e (all the strangest, sickest, funniest and most unforgettable urban legends as told in Jack's inimitable style) and \u003ci\u003eAlbert Jack's Ten-Minute Mysteries\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 256\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.48 x 8.1 x 4.5 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e May 04, 2010\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47540452032733,"sku":"9780399535123","price":32.4,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/9867\/8237\/files\/dpeG9ns3KK9780399535123.webp?v=1772583473","url":"https:\/\/handfulofbooks.com\/products\/black-sheep-and-lame-ducks-the-origins-of-even-more-phrases-we-use-every-day-paperback","provider":"Handful of Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}