Opening Pandora's Box: Phrases Borrowed from the Classics and the Stories Behind Them

by Ferdie Addis | Nonfiction |
ISBN: 1606523244 Global Overview for this book
Registered by wingelizardbreathwing of Bella Vista, Arkansas USA on 9/11/2016
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4 journalers for this copy...
Journal Entry 1 by wingelizardbreathwing from Bella Vista, Arkansas USA on Sunday, September 11, 2016
I purchased this at a bookstore near the Abbey Hotel in Bath, England this weekend during the Jane Austen Festival.

Journal Entry 2 by wingelizardbreathwing at Bella Vista, Arkansas USA on Thursday, January 12, 2017
I wanted to enjoy this book but most of the phrases were totally foreign to me. When it's talking "classics" it's talking classical classics. Ha!!

It's still so surprising to me that even though British and American language and culture appear to be so similar, there really are vast differences.

One neat thing I learned is that the origin of our word, mentor (that's now even become somewhat of a root word) was taken from a character named Mentor.

I'll be setting this one aside for a bookbox.

Released 7 yrs ago (1/28/2017 UTC) at A Bookcrosser in A BookCrosser, A Bookcrossing member -- Controlled Releases

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Releasing into the Biographies of Things bookbox.

Journal Entry 4 by wingeponine38wing at Winchester, Massachusetts USA on Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Taking from the Biographies of Things bookbox. Thanks for sharing!

Journal Entry 5 by wingeponine38wing at Winchester, Massachusetts USA on Wednesday, January 24, 2018
I enjoyed learning about the origin of all these expressions, most of which I didn't know. Most of them I'd heard, and some of them I knew the meaning of, but in most cases not the origin. Fascinating! I've never studied or read anything about Greek and Roman mythology, and have always felt like I was missing something. :-) This book provided an overview without excessive detail to complicate matters.

Loved the handy chart of names for the Greek and Roman Gods. That's always been confusing to me - two names for each god!

I'll probably look for a keeper copy of this to keep as a reference, but in the meantime will let this one go - preferably as a RABCK.

Thanks for sharing this, elizardbreath!

Amazon:
Are you known to strike like a thunderbolt when things don't go your way?
Are you fortunate enough to have the Midas touch?
Have you ever been struck by Cupid's arrow?

Classically derived expressions are commonly used in our everyday language, yet many of us have little knowledge of the Greek and Roman influences that inspired them. With Opening Pandora's Box you'll discover the fascinating stories behind familiar phrases like Achilles' Heel, a Nemesis, To Fly too Close to the Sun, and more. For example, did you know that...

The lifesaving operation known as the Caesarean section is so named because Julius Caesar was delivered by being cut out of his mother's womb?
The original labyrinth was built on the orders of King Minos of Crete after Aphrodite cursed his wife to fall in love with a bull and produce a monstrous baby? The king locked the baby in a maze so complicated and tangled that, once in, he would never emerge.
The word cereal is derived from the Italian corn goddess Ceres?

Pry open the lid of the English language to find the secrets behind classical phrases we use every day.


Journal Entry 6 by wingeponine38wing at Winchester, Massachusetts USA on Monday, January 29, 2018

Released 6 yrs ago (1/29/2018 UTC) at Winchester, Massachusetts USA

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

On its way to Spatial, who replied to my RABCK offer. Hope you like it!

Released for zbird's Clean Start for the New Year challenge hosted by BOOKWORMINUSALL, for the embedded "and".
Released for Keep Them Moving Challenge hosted by booklady331.
Released for January 2018 Ultimate Challenge hosted by jumpingin, for "box". This month's theme is Home, and moving requires boxes.




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Take your time reading the book, and after you finish, please make another journal entry to record your thoughts about it. This book is now yours, and you can keep it if you choose, though we would love for you to share it. If you pass it along, please make a release note to let others know where you left it “in the wild”, or a journal entry if you gave/sent it to a known person.

I hope you enjoy the book!

Journal Entry 7 by wingSpatialwing at Arlington, Virginia USA on Friday, February 2, 2018
Thank you so much, eponine38! I look forward to reading about the meanings of many commonly used phrases and those not-so-common!

Journal Entry 8 by wingSpatialwing at Arlington, Virginia USA on Wednesday, April 11, 2018
I enjoyed this collection on words and phrases and where they originated from Greek and Roman history and mythology. I also enjoyed the author’s snark that he brought to the writing and the illustrations which would have been dull and tedious otherwise.

Journal Entry 9 by wingSpatialwing at HGG, Holiday Gift Giving -- Controlled Releases on Saturday, January 8, 2022

Released 2 yrs ago (1/9/2022 UTC) at HGG, Holiday Gift Giving -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

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Sent as a 2021 Holiday Gift Giving gift. I hope you enjoy it!

✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩ ✩

Journal Entry 10 by merrymari at Traverse City, Michigan USA on Thursday, February 3, 2022
I have enjoyed dipping in out and out of this book. The stories behind phrases that we all know are really interesting. This book is so up my alley.

**I acquired this book from the HGG thread RABCK, thank you Spatial! =)

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