Pub date: available now

A wonderfully entertaining look at the meanings and origins of the many colourful – but baffling – phrases we use every day.

How on earth did ‘with bells on’ come to express enthusiasm? And why is good health compared to a small stringed instrument? (‘As fit as a fiddle.’) Let’s not beat about the bush: despite the fact that we have all used these phrases at one time or another, they are in truth – when you take a moment to consider them – completely non-sensical.

Spilling the Beans puts these linguistic quirks in context, explaining how and why they were first used. Absorbing, diverting and fascinating – as far as Christmas gifts go, Spilling the Beans really is the bee’s knees!