The Books

A 10-volume series exploring 500 of the most fascinating phrase origins in the English language.

Funny You Should Say That Volume 1 book cover
Volume 1

Funny You Should Say That

Part history, part myth-busting, part pub quiz ammunition — 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. Each entry is a self-contained deep dive into language, history, and the delightfully weird ways humans communicate.

What's Inside — 10 Chapters, 50 Phrases

  • In Sickness and In Sneeze — phrases born from disease, death & medicine
  • All Hands on Deck — phrases from the sea & sailing
  • Off With Their Heads! — phrases from royalty, courts & politics
  • The Whole Nine Yards — phrases from war & the military
  • Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bathwater — phrases from everyday medieval life
  • Break a Leg! — phrases from theatre, entertainment & sport
  • Sold Down the River — phrases with dark & uncomfortable origins
  • Let the Cat Out of the Bag — trade, markets & money
  • Barking Up the Wrong Tree — the animal kingdom
  • The Writing on the Wall — religion, myth & superstition

View on Amazon →

10 Volumes. 500 Phrases. One Obsessive Author.

Each volume covers 50 phrase origins across different themes. New volumes publish every 3–4 months.

Volume 1
The Surprising Origins of Everyday Phrases
Available Now
Volume 2
Coming Soon
2026
Volume 3
Coming Soon
TBA
Volume 4
Coming Soon
TBA
Volume 5
Coming Soon
TBA
Volume 6
Coming Soon
TBA
Volume 7
Coming Soon
TBA
Volume 8
Coming Soon
TBA
Volume 9
Coming Soon
TBA
Volume 10
Coming Soon
TBA

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