Category Archives: Positive book reviews

Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks!

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This saying goes back to a song by that title released in early 1964. A detailed entry is found on pages 315 and 316 of Most Comprehensive Origins of Cliches, Proverbs and Figurative Expressions.

Great reviews keep coming in on Amazon for this book. I am very grateful. Yesterday there were two new ones. One I was expecting because I had been told it was coming. The other one, like many of these reviews was totally “Out of the blue,” (page 413- from 1837). Both showed five out of five stars. I’m posting them here:

ByKathy A Barneyon June 16, 2015
Rarely a book like this comes along that becomes a staple, no, necessity, in your library. This book should be on your bedside table for fascinating reading and not just on your “bucket list” of things to do or get. Remember the game Trivial Pursuit? This is the embodiment of a published version of everything–and I mean everything–you need to know of the origins of everyday expressions that have become part of the fabric that make up the language of our society. I feel as if this book was written expressly for me, to my utter delight, as a trivia fan and a life-long knowledge hound! The author has done such a thorough job of researching, I would trust no other. Many of the expressions come as delightful surprises to me and provoke thoughts of the human language as it has evolved–or not! through the centuries.

Reading this book automatically makes you more interesting and knowledgeable than any other Joe or Josephine in the room and is a great ice breaker. Who knew you knew the origin of “living high on the hog?”

What surpised me the most is that these phrases are not as old or ancient as one would think. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would highly reccommed it to everybody and “strike while the iron is hot!”

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By Robelias Miller on June 16, 2015
As a review comment, I will copy for you the first paragraph of a 250-word email that I sent to the author of this book.

Dear Mr. St. Clair,
Your magnificent book “Most Comprehensive Origins of Clichés, Proverbs, and Figurative Expressions” was indeed a pleasure for me to read. It’s so thorough on those specific topics. I especially appreciate your massive bibliography, which indicates lots of detailed research work.

Note: I didn’t get the email from Mr. Miller,so I don’t know where he sent it, but I looked him up online and he is a retired Professional Editor, and I’m sending him a letter of thanks.

Positive reviews

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I have been elated at the positive comments that readers of my most recent phrase origin book have posted on Amazon. Everyone so far has rated it five out of five stars. Earlier this afternoon I was mulling this over and the thought came to me to check and see if any new reviews had been posted since I had looked at the site. I was very pleasantly surprised by what I found. It was a new review by a minister whom I was to find lives and works in Ohio.

He stated that this is “truly the best book of its kind”. I am humbled. He added the comment, “Buy it!”

The secret in writing a book that will sell is to find a subject that a lot of people want to read about, but not everyone has already written about. Then make your work the best that all of your time and effort can develop. That is what I tried to do with Most Comprehensive Origins of Cliches, Proverbs and Figurative Expressions. It took between two and a half and three years to bring together and polish up for publication this unusual tome. It is 730 pages in very fine print with wide margins and no illustrations. All of the long hours were worth it. It represents my finest work to date, and others seem to appreciate it.

If you don’t have your copy yet you may order one today in either paperback or Kindle on Amazon worldwide. Email me for instructions on getting an autographed copy at stan@stclair.net .