“Not a Lot of People Know This” is the clever title of a newly released pocket book containing over 250 well known idioms and their origins. The idea for the book, which is published in Ireland, was born in an Irish pub.
After years of testing one another’s general knowledge over the origin of idioms such as “three sheets to the wind” or “chancing your arm”, close neighbours and long-time friends Barry Burke and Mick McGovern decided to compile a collection of such sayings and explain how they came about.
Covid19 gave them the perfect window to work on the project and now following over 12 months of research, the book is finally published. In this first collection there are over 250 idioms, both Irish and international, along with painstaking definitions explaining their origins.
Speaking about the release Mick reflects “Someone once said to me that a pub is a poor man’s university and I really feel that is so true. The idea of the book was created in that poor man’s establishment one night over a pint. Sometimes the best ideas in the world come from simply chatting to each other in the workplace, or in this case on a social occasion. And now it has happened, that dream has come through for me.”
Barry notes, “Many of us use idioms in our conversations unconsciously. We know how, where and when to use them but we don’t know what they really mean. For me where they originated from was something I had to investigate. I thought a book on this would educate and amuse us all.”
The book is on sale now in a variety of local bookstores or online at https://notalotofpeopleknowthis.company.site. It is a great read and should prove a popular stocking filler for Christmas.
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