This collection will appeal to everyone who has ever wondered about the origin of phrases like "all part of life's rich pattern" and "long time no see". It covers a wide range of catch phrases in current use in all parts of the English-speaking world. Most entries are drawn from the second edition of Eric Partridge's Dictionary of Catch Phrases (second edition, edited by Paul Beale), but have been completely rewritten in the light of recent research, and there are many additions. Catch Phrases include: close your eyes and think of England! have I got news for you! ... refreshes the parts that other ... cannot reach some mothers do'ave'em! you are awful, but I like you.

Catch phrases such as "shop till you drop," cliches like "life begins at forty" and idioms such as "talk the hind leg off a donkey" have long enriched the English language. Here is a collection of thousands of familiar expressions--a treasure trove of idea-starters and memory-joggers that will make for more imaginative creative writing. An advertising copywriter working on a campaign for, say, a granola-peanut product can easily find the instantly-recognizable phrase "Energy Crunch"--a clever and informative headline. Each phrase is cross-referenced by key word. Thus "raining cats and dogs," for example, appears under "cat," "dog" and "rain." In most cases, various forms of the word are listed under the root word. So under "run" you will find not only sayings that include the word "run," but those that include "running," "runneth," "runner" and "run-around."

A catch phrase is a well-known, frequently-used phrase or saying that has `caught on' or become popular over along period of time. It is often witty or philosophical and this Dictionary gathers together over 7,000 such phrases.