So To Speak
11,000 Expressions That’ll Knock Your Socks Off
The world’s largest collection of English-language expressions of its kind—with dozens of word games and 351 vintage illustrations. On sale now!
Guess These Expressions
Hover over each image for the answer.
Tug at your heartstrings
A horse’s ass
High-strung
Fine-feathered friend
About the Book
Bear with me
Collapse like a house of cards
The expressions in So to Speak are more than just words; they tell a story of who you are, where you lived, and when you grew up. Someone who says a friend is “all hat and no cattle” is likely from a different neck of the woods than the person who asks, “What am I, chopped liver?” Expressions also offer a clue as to when you came of age: If you ask for the skinny on a rumor you hear, you’re almost certainly longer in the tooth than if you ask someone to spill the tea.
Collapse like a house of cards
Make small talk
The book’s 67 carefully curated, often-quirky categories range from “Animals” to “Arts & Entertainment”; from “Colors” to “Gambling”; from “Love & Kisses” to “Royalty” to “Science & Technology.” This is not your run-of-the mill reference guide. Don’t look for definitions and etymologies, because the book is just the beginning. So to Speak is the launchpad for your lifelong journey to explore the universe of expressions. In fact, it’s designed to get readers off the page—and engaging with each other. You’ll find that So to Speak spurs discussion, debate, and gameplay, while encouraging the art of listening and celebrating the joy of words.