A Dictionary of Catch Phrases : British and American, from the Sixteenth Century to the Present Day (2nd ed)

A catch phrase is a well-known, frequently-used phrase or saying that has caught on' or become popular over a long period of time.

It is often witty or philosophical and this Dictionary gathers together over 7,000 such phrases.

Some reviews of this classic edition: This delightful book will tell you the history of such phrases as "back to square one", "as the actress said to the bishop", "the bee's knees", "bright-eyed and bushy-tailed", and thousands of other catchphrases, British and American, from the sixteenth century to the present day.' - Richard Boston, The Guardian