»In which we investigate worn-out sayings

Another of the books I have long intended to write: a work on the etymology of phrases. Many of the hackneyed, trite, and worn-out formulae of speech come from a specific event. Some of the more recent, such as "Elvis has left the building" are well-documented catchphrases; others, such as "Getting on like a house on fire" are more obscure, and require much research.

Somewhere in the vast boxes of stuff I have several — not many! &mdash index cards with notations on the etymology of phrases; some cards derive from other reference works, some from my encounters with phrases. As more of our printed material becomes available electronically, searching for the first written occurrence of a phrase might be come an exercise in technology; however, many phrases made a subtle transition from oral to written, and identifying the actual origin might be much more difficult.