{"product_id":"9780399535123","title":"Black Sheep and Lame Ducks: The Origins of Even More Phrases We Use Every Day","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe fun and fascinating follow-up to the international bestseller \u003ci\u003eRed Herrings and White Elephants\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhy do people put their \"skeletons in a closet,\" \"have a hunch,\" \"get the cold shoulder,\" \"get dressed up to the nines,\" or \"call a spade a spade?\" These phrases are used every day, yet most people have little or no idea where most of them come from. In \u003ci\u003eBlack Sheep and Lame Ducks\u003c\/i\u003e, Albert Jack takes readers on a journey through the curious- and often bizarre-origins of hundreds of their favorite idioms and expressions. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor example, \"wearing your heart on your sleeve\" comes from the Middle Ages, when a lady would \"give her heart\" in the form of a handkerchief pinned to the sleeve of a knight who was about to go into battle. And calling someone the \"black sheep in the family\" refers to a thousands- year-old belief that a black lamb in a flock was unpopular because its fleece was undyeable and therefore less valuable. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWith \u003ci\u003eBlack Sheep and Lame Ducks\u003c\/i\u003e, any language-lover can feel like a \"Smart Aleck\"-and also know exactly who that was.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47025147085040,"sku":"9780399535123","price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9780399535123_p0.jpg?v=1763698704","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9780399535123","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}