Endangered Phrases Intriguing Idioms Dangerously Close to Extinction
“Person to person” (and “station to station”), “bar sinister,” “the weed of crime bears bitter fruit,” “between the devil and the deep blue sea,” “will o’ the wisp,” “poor as Job’s turkey” . . . these are just a few phrases that were once part of everyday speech. However, due to our evolving language and other cultural changes, there are hundreds of phrases poised on the brink of extinction. Can such endangered phrases be saved? And if so, why? It is sure to increase your appreciation of the English language’s ebb and flow—and enhance your own vocabulary along the way.