Everyone knows that...donuts have holes...we clink glasses before saying a toast...golfers yell "fore!" before teeing off...we nod our heads yes and shake our heads no...But how many of us know why?... This description may be from another edition of this product.
The book is really almost pocket sized, but it's a good, short read! I found it to be highly entertaining. It shipped to me brand new and extremely fast. I would tell anyone to buy from the seller!
great for conversation
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 16 years ago
This is a book that will help conversation. When people sneeze, I explain why we say "Bless you!" I explain how Halloween was named. Great book to share read with. Just a fun book to have. It also makes a great bathroom reader.
I can stop wondering
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I found this little book full of information. I now give this book out as gifts to friends and they love it too!!! I hope a new one will come out for me to wonder even less.
A really great compilation of everyday questions and answers
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
The question "Why?" is the most difficult question to answer. Douglas B. Smith put together a compilation of more than 200 questions about everyday sayings and trends so people may not take them for granted. The word "piggybank", for example, did not originate with the pig, the farm animal that says "oink, oink", but the orange clay of old European dishes and cookware, called "pygg". Wedding and marital traditions are covered extensively, and so are nautical expressions. One example of the latter is the "devil", as in "there'll be the devil to pay" and "between the devil and the deep blue sea"; that is the hard-to-reach seam, below the waterline most of the time, on a ship built with wood. It is so good a read it even addresses the simple question that many children wonder, like "Why is the sky blue?" This book even explains -- in the preface -- the origin of the preface, and contains an eight-page index. A "must read" for those who are curious about everyday phenomena. I also recommend the "Imponderables" series and "More Ever Wonder Why".
This book is great!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 20 years ago
This book really is great! I have never before had a book that every single member of my family actually fights over!! My little brother, my big sister, my mom, and my dad:every single one of us loves this book! It has taught me so many great facts! I even was awarded a free bottle of champagne on an airplane recently thanks to this book: a woman had a nose bleed the whole flight and this book explained how nose bleeds can be reduced or stopped by putting an ice pack on the back of your neck, and guess what it worked!! On top of that, once we reached our destination, all the people in our tour group would beg me to read excerpts of this book to them and the people in our tour group came from all over the world, from England to Gautemala- almost every single one of them wanted to purchase this book by the end of our trip! If you are considering purchasing this book..do it! I promise you will not regret it-this book is way too great to pass up!
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.