Cambridge Idioms Dictionary (2nd edition)

The present volume attempts to cover current British, American and Australian idioms. The last‐named group is particularly interesting, because Australians have an engaging and effective habit of breaking through stuffy linguistic circumlocutions. However, my first impression of this volume, gathered from the opening sentence of the Introduction, was not a favourable one.

Idioms are indeed a colourful and fascinating aspect of English, but the same point can be and should have been said of any developed language. A recently published dictionary of German slang, with a peel‐off sticker attached to its front cover, amusingly advertising it as a tool for...