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A Hog on Ice and Other Curious Expressions
Dr. Funk has taken hundreds of picturesque sayings that we use without thinking in our daily speech and has traced them back through the years to find the original allusions.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1948
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About the author
Charles Earle Funk
43books2followersCharles Earle Funk (1881�1957) was an American lexicographer.[1][2][3] He was a member of the Funk family who owned the publisher Funk & Wagnalls; Dr. Isaac Funk was his uncle.[4]
Funk wrote several etymological dictionaries, including Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins, A Hog On Ice & Other Curious Expressions, Heavens To Betsy & Other Curious Expressions, Horsefeathers and Other Curious Words, and 2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings & Expressions: From White Elephants to Song & Dance.
Funk wrote several etymological dictionaries, including Thereby Hangs a Tale: Stories of Curious Word Origins, A Hog On Ice & Other Curious Expressions, Heavens To Betsy & Other Curious Expressions, Horsefeathers and Other Curious Words, and 2107 Curious Word Origins, Sayings & Expressions: From White Elephants to Song & Dance.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 15, 2021
Many of the 400+ expressions discussed in this book are no longer in use - or the meanings have changed completely. As a study in how language changes, it's semi-interesting. However, I wasn't impressed with many of the "explanations" - so many of them were just the author's random assumptions. ("Perhaps a schoolboy in x situation felt x and blah blah blah.")
There are some repetitive bits, as well, especially when the author was detailing physical abuse to cats. :(
There are some repetitive bits, as well, especially when the author was detailing physical abuse to cats. :(
June 28, 2011
I thought this would be really interesting, and at first it was. First of all: it rapidly became BORING! This author completely sucked the life and interest out of the subject. In addition, since it was written in 1948, meanings of some of the expressions have actually changed! It felt dated beyond belief.
July 22, 2021
Disappointing. Much less rigorous than I expected. For most expressions it provides the earliest known use, then a "derivation" that the author appears to be making up without evidence.
April 23, 2011
Not as much fun as I thought it would be--expectations too high. I thought I would learn all sorts of startling or fascinating histories of the sayings, and learn oodles of new colorful phrases, but, well, not really. It was OK.
September 13, 2020
Boring
March 15, 2021
In one word, this was an amusing read. Many of these expressions are no longer in use. Or, at least, I have not heard them in the 21st century. Still, there are so many in this book that are part of our language and it helps to know how they came about.
I could not resolve the exact timing of when this was written. This guy was born in the 1800s, so at best, this would've been first published mid 20th century. Yet the printing date was later in the century. Kind of confusing.
Still, I enjoyed reading this book
I could not resolve the exact timing of when this was written. This guy was born in the 1800s, so at best, this would've been first published mid 20th century. Yet the printing date was later in the century. Kind of confusing.
Still, I enjoyed reading this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 20, 2020
A little bit of a resource for various sayings and such. Not for everyone. And not the kind of book where I could say I really enjoyed it, or thought it was exceptional. Rather, a point of interest for me. There were certain segment I really enjoyed reading about, and others, well, perhaps everything has a time and place. Some expressions have simply moved on.
February 21, 2021
OK, this book's dated; some of the expressions aren't even in use anymore, and being a white guy in mid-20th c USA, he missed lively phrases that were common in communities with which he had no familiarity. As a sort of American language history lesson, it amuses. I learned a little and questioned a lot of his sources. So there's some value here, though not for the average 21st century reader.
February 20, 2020
Whew, took me long enough to get all my quotes up for this. An enjoyable enough read through one of the Funk & Wagnalls writers' interpretations of word origins, and a fun excellent snapshot into what were considered common phrases in 1953. Accuracy? Debatable.
March 9, 2021
A researcher dives into the origins of different phrases and sayings. Gets a little repetitive after a hundred pages but overall is very interesting. Learn old, new, and interesting sayings I'd never thought I' read about.
January 6, 2023
I got excited because I have a book about the origin of things and now this one is the expression of words. As I read, it got uninteresting because the words are obsolete and not relateable of today's time. It was published in the fifties so not my cup of tea and planning to give it away.
February 10, 2017
If you are interested in words and phrases that have both come and gone in the English language, you will enjoy A Hog On Ice. It is a presentation of once common phrases, what they mean and how and when they were derived. Sometimes the development is theory, sometimes it is factual, but at all times it is interesting.
I feel that A Hog On Ice is not a book you would want to read in one sitting; rather, it is one that you would read a few pages and go on to something else. Then come back later to read a few more pages. At least, that's how I approached it, and I had an enjoyable reading experience.
I feel that A Hog On Ice is not a book you would want to read in one sitting; rather, it is one that you would read a few pages and go on to something else. Then come back later to read a few more pages. At least, that's how I approached it, and I had an enjoyable reading experience.
August 4, 2007
Some of this is overdone, but Funk is very very careful--if he says he knows where a word or phrase came from, he's apt to be able to prove it. Will just say so if he doesn't know or couldn't find out. Some of the expressions he takes the trouble to explain here are completely out of style now, or uncommon even when in use. But very interesting to word-hounds just the same.
January 26, 2008
This is a really fun book. I love Funk’s writing and research so much that I always buy his books when I find them. Most are out of print, though, this book was reprinted in 2002.
My blog has a , with excerpts & scans of the illustrations.
My blog has a , with excerpts & scans of the illustrations.
March 14, 2013
I haven't actually read this particular book; I just finished the original book (the one published in the 1940's). I somehow stumbled upon it in the library and checked it out. I thought it was very intertwining. I enjoy this kind of off the wall old history. It's definitely a 'just for fun' sort of book & I encourage people to read it as such.
October 6, 2015
Interesting, although not as much fun as I had expected. Some of the expressions I had never heard, some I only heard my parents and their generation use, some are still commonplace. I did get a bit thrown by the author's references to time periods, because he was born before 1900 and I was reading this after 2000.
December 30, 2008
The book covers a good number of expressions, many of which I've heard before and others I haven't. There is usually around two expressions on each page. The short explanation covers the meaning of the phrase and, if he knows it, the origin.
June 22, 2017
This is a guide to all kinds of idioms and their history. There was a whole series, but this was the only one I ever got around to reading.
May 5, 2015
No tengo manera de calificar este libro, pero sí de apreciar lo que aprendí de él.
July 28, 2016
A Must read for anyone interested in American Vernacular...Or the shit we say.
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