Did you know that \047flavour of the month\047 originated in a marketing campaign in American ice-cream parlours in the 1940s, when a particular flavour would be specially promoted for a month at a time? And did you know that \047off the cuff\047 refers to the rather messy practice of writing impromptu notes on one\047s shirt cuff before speaking in public? These and many more idioms are explained and put into context in this third edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. The volume takes a fresh look at the idiomatic phrases and sayings that make English the rich and intriguing language that it is. This major new edition contains entries for over 6,000 idioms, including 700 entirely new entries, based on Oxford\047s language monitoring and the ongoing third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. These include a range of recently established idioms such as \047the elephant in the corner\047, \047go figure\047, \047like a rat up a drainpipe\047, \047sex on legs\047, \047step up to the plate\047, \047too posh to push\047, \047a walk in the park\047, \047win ugly\047. This edition also features a greatly increased number of cross-references, making it ideal for quick reference.\012Many entries include additional features which give more detailed background on the idiom in question. For example, did you know that \047taken aback\047 was adopted from nautical terminology that described a ship unable to move forward because of a strong headwind pressing its sails back against the mast? Anyone interested in the colourful side of the English language will get hours of fun browsing from this fascinating and informative volume.