Dictionary of Proverbs : And Their Origins (Rev. and updated ed)

Did you know that 'if the cap fits' refers to the traditional jester's cap with bells on it - so anyone wearing such a cap could be expected to do something foolish? Or that the ancient Greeks believed that it was camels rather than elephants that never forgot?

The Spanish writer Cervantes defined a proverb as 'a short sentence drawn from long experience' and Linda and Roger Flavell trace the origins of over 400 of these invaluable pieces of wisdom.

The entries are interspersed with mini-essays on such diverse subjects as 'The Proverbial Cynic' and 'When there's a R in the Month'.

The result is essential reading for anyone who delights in words.