One for Sorrow: A Book of Old-Fashioned Lore

Description

Many of the popular, often prophetic, phrases that we use on a day-to-day basis have their roots in traditional folklore. For example: 'One swallow doesn't make a summer'; 'March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb'; 'One for sorrow, two for joy'. Such common idioms are familiar to most people, but their history and origins are far from well known. However, in One for Sorrow readers will discover that there is a wealth of fascinating stories and history behind them. This charming book is filled with sayings, legends and proverbs derived from the oral history of the countryside and unveils how they came about, what they mean, and how they came to be such a big part of the language we use today. Written with a light touch and expert knowledge, it will entertain and inform in equal measure - the perfect gift for anyone with an interest in the rich and varied heritage of the English language.

Chloe Rhodes is a freelance writer and journalist whose work has appeared in The Telegraph, The Times and The Independent on Sunday, as well as in several other national publications. Her previous books include A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi: Words We Pinched From Other Languages. Although she grew up in Greater London, she has an inherited love of folklore: one side of her family were fenland farmers who relied on weather lore for their livelihoods, and the other took pride in passing down the songs and legends of their Irish ancestry.

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