From centuries-old sayings (‘beggars can’t be choosers’; ‘a friend in need’; ‘at the end of the day’; ‘it’s not rocket science’), the English language seems so full of clichés that sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees (ha ha). Here eagle-eyed word detective Julia Cresswell takes a long hard look at the history of some of the worst (and best) culprits and spills the beans (whoops) on their curious, often surprising origins. Who would have thought, for example, that ‘a finger in every pie’ originates with Shakespeare or that ‘lie back and think of England’ comes from an Edwardian lady’s diary? This volume presents us with the low-down on those expressions we’re all a bit guilty of using too much.