A Book About the Things You Say Every Day
You say them every day. You have no idea where they come from.
Funny You Should Say That uncovers the extraordinary origins of 50 everyday phrases — from plague pits to palace walls.
Funny You Should Say That uncovers the extraordinary origins of 50 everyday phrases — from plague pits to palace walls.
"A 'wild goose chase' was originally a horse race. Not a single goose was involved."
"'Pandora's box' was actually a jar. A 500-year-old mistranslation changed the story forever."
"The word 'scapegoat' was invented by a man who was burned alive for translating the Bible."
"'Ring around the rosie' has nothing to do with the plague. That myth didn't exist before the 1950s."
Funny You Should Say That cracks open 50 of the most familiar phrases in the English language and reveals the extraordinary true stories behind them. Some will surprise you. Some will horrify you. All of them will make you the most interesting person at the dinner table.
Deeply researched, entertainingly told, and impossible to put down.
The real stories are always stranger — and more interesting — than the myths.
For word nerds, trivia lovers, and anyone who's ever wondered "why do we say that?"
"He finally wrote it all down instead of telling me at dinner. The meals are quieter now. The restaurant bills, however, are still highway robbery — which, as he won't stop reminding me, is a phrase with a surprisingly literal history."
"I've been correcting his grammar since he was six. He thanked me in the dedication. For all intents and purposes, I consider this a win."
"He ruined our pub quiz team, our friendship, and a perfectly good evening — all over whether 'rule of thumb' had anything to do with wife-beating. Then he wrote a book about it. Three stars because he was right. Would be five if he'd been less smug about it."
The person at the party who says, "Funny you should say that!" After years of clearing rooms with unsolicited etymology, he decided to write it all down instead.
Read more about Tobyn →A new phrase origin every week, plus bonus content, behind-the-scenes research, and the occasional etymological emergency. Be the first to know when Volume 2 drops. No spam — just words with stories.
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