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jekylljuice · 12-17-2007, 01:40 AM

What They Didn't Say: A Book of Misquotations edited by Elizabeth Knowles

I've recently been whiling away a few amusing hours flicking through this cheerful little reference book, which demonstrates that many of the most popular and familiar phrases in the English lexicon were the result of simple corruptions, sometimes intentional, sometimes not. Often, it's just a matter of pedantics. For example, the poem "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns, which first gave rise to the saying "the best-laid plans of mice and men," actually had it written as the "best-laid schemes." Others have arisen as a result of the highly deceptive nature of popular culture. Sherlock Holmes never used the phrases, "Elementary" and "my dear Watson" in conjunction with one another, Ingrid Bergman never said the iconic "Play it again, Sam", and apparently Captain Kirk never once used the exact phrase, "Beam me up, Scotty".

Nothing like reading a book of this nature to make you feel smug and freshly-informed for a while. Plus, it's provided me with a few new useful phrases for my own personal idiolect. Get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton - I love that one.

12-17-2007, 01:40 AM	#52
jekylljuice Executive Weasel Ball jekylljuice was here. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: the 44th floor (not counting the mezzanine) Posts: 1,568	What They Didn't Say: A Book of Misquotations edited by Elizabeth Knowles I've recently been whiling away a few amusing hours flicking through this cheerful little reference book, which demonstrates that many of the most popular and familiar phrases in the English lexicon were the result of simple corruptions, sometimes intentional, sometimes not. Often, it's just a matter of pedantics. For example, the poem "To a Mouse" by Robert Burns, which first gave rise to the saying "the best-laid plans of mice and men," actually had it written as the "best-laid schemes." Others have arisen as a result of the highly deceptive nature of popular culture. Sherlock Holmes never used the phrases, "Elementary" and "my dear Watson" in conjunction with one another, Ingrid Bergman never said the iconic "Play it again, Sam", and apparently Captain Kirk never once used the exact phrase, "Beam me up, Scotty". Nothing like reading a book of this nature to make you feel smug and freshly-informed for a while. Plus, it's provided me with a few new useful phrases for my own personal idiolect. Get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton - I love that one. __________________ That's it, The End, But you'll get over it, My Friend. Last edited by jekylljuice; 12-17-2007 at 03:04 AM.