Why Do We Say That? 404 Idioms, Phrases, Sayings & Facts!: An American Idiom Dictionary To Become A Native Speaker By Learning Colloquial Expressions, Proverbs & Slang

Who decided “break a leg” was a way to say good luck? Why are you “in a pickle” when things go wrong? And why on earth do we tell people to “hold their horses” when there are no horses in sight?

You've probably used everyday idioms like “break the ice,” or “hit the nail on the head” without giving them a second thought - most of us do. But behind these quirky expressions lie fascinating facts, bizarre backstories, and cultural twists that make the English language endlessly entertaining.

In W...