McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

From the Back Cover
The most comprehensive, in-depth guide to common American idioms and phraseology available

The hardest part of getting the hang of a language is making sense of its idioms. From proverbial expressions such as “a stitch in time saves nine,” to idioms such as “dead ringer,” to such common verbal phrases as “put out” and “take on,” these colorful constructions, so abundant in American English, seem to serve no other purpose than to frustrate and confuse. But don’t despair! Thanks to the efforts of noted lexicographer Richard A. Spears, mastering American English idioms has never been easier.

McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs covers the full breadth and scope of idiomatic American English, making it an essential companion to standard desk dictionaries. An invaluable resource for ESL students, as well as writers, scholars, and public speakers, this reference combines in one volume the two most perplexing aspects of American English phraseology–idioms and phrasal verbs–providing ready access to the complete meanings and varying usages of thousands of common terms and verb constructs.

Outstanding features include:

More than 24,000 entries and 27,000 senses
Idiomatic phrases, proverbial expressions, and cliches
Concise definitions, plus one or more example sentences for each phrase
Sources (e.g., the Bible, Shakespeare, etc.) and origins (e.g., Rural, Nautical)
Guidance on the correct tone and social context
Uniquely thorough treatment of variation (e.g., to get, to have, or to give the low-down)
A comprehensive Phrase-Finder Index of more than 60,000 entries–let’s you locate phrases by key words, including common particles in two-part verbs
About the Author
Richard A. Spears, Ph.D., was a professor of linguistics at Northwestern University before he turned to editorial work. He has authored more than 150 books and articles on various aspects of language. His main interest is in phrasal dictionaries and references designed for language learners.