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Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms Paperback – July 1, 2006

by Marvin Terban (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,046 ratings
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If you think idioms are a "tough nut to crack," pick up the revised SCHOLASTIC DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS. Fun new design and more than 700 common American phrases, sayings, and expressions.

Cat got your tongue? Penny for your thoughts? Come again? Every day, idioms bring color to our speech. Since they don't really mean what they say, idioms can stump even the native English-speaker. Marvin Terban makes understanding idioms "as easy as pie" with the revised SCHOLASTIC DICTIONARY OF IDIOMS. Explanations for, and origins of, more than 700 everyday American idioms, complete with kid-friendly sample sentences. The entries are amusing as well as educational. Alphabetical listing and cross-referencing index makes finding idioms a "piece of cake."
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Previous page
  1. Reading age
    8 - 11 years, from customers
  2. Part of series
    Scholastic Reference
  3. Print length
    304 pages
  4. Language
    English
  5. Grade level
    4 - 7
  6. Dimensions
    6.25 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  7. Publisher
    Scholastic Reference
  8. Publication date
    July 1, 2006
  9. ISBN-10
    0439770831
  10. ISBN-13
    978-0439770835
  11. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Terban explains the meanings and origins (if known) of more than 600 idioms and proverbs in this intriguing book." (Booklist, March 15,1996)"Reference tools may be a dime a dozen in this dog-eat-dog world, but here's a soup-to-nuts dictionary of colloquialisms that doesn't beat around the bush...an appealing browse as well as useful (and perhaps unique) resource for kids baffled by the intricacies of the English language." (The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, July/August 1996)"From 'ace up your sleeve' to 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks,' this introduction to idiomatic phrases, sayings, and expressions is clear and easy to use." (School Library Journal, May 1996)

About the Author

Marvin Terban is a bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 books for children, most of them about the English language. Called a "master of wordplay" by the American Library Association's Booklist and "Mr. English for Kids" by the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club, Marvin is truly an expert on teaching the art of language. For over 40 years, Marvin has taught English, Latin, Public Speaking, Theater, and other subjects at Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Scholastic Reference; Revised edition (July 1, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0439770831
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0439770835
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 8 - 11 years, from customers
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 1,046 ratings

About the author

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Marvin Terban

Marvin Terban

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Marvin Terban (marvinterban.com) is a teacher and children's book author. Called a "master of children's wordplay" by ALA Booklist and "Mr. English for Kids" by the Children's Book-of-the-Month Club, he has written over thirty-five books for young readers and teachers, most of them about the English language. He is Scholastic's "Professor Grammar." Marvin Terban was born in Massachusetts and got his start as an author with a book that he wrote and drew in the first grade about a fuzzy green dragon. His first real writing job was a weekly column for his local newspaperwhen he was in high school. He was also the editor of his high school newspaper and literary magazine. He went to Tufts and Columbia Universities, where he received Bachelor's and Master's degrees respectively.

For over fifty years, he has taught English, Latin, Public Speaking, Computer, Theater, and other subjects at the Columbia Grammar and Preparatory School in New York City where he developed teaching games that used humor to help students understand and enjoy the mystifying idiosyncrasies of the English language. Those games grew into the highly original series of funny books on English for which he is known. Marvin's books have made it as far as Shanghai University in China where they are used to teach English to adults. His Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms has been translated into Japanese and Korean. Two of his books were turned into early computer games.

He and his wife, a former special education instructor, also wrote two activity books for teachers. Three of his Scholastic books, Checking Your Grammar, Dictionary of Idioms, and Dictionary of Spelling, have sold well over one million copies each. In 2005, the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, an international organization of over 20,000 creators of children's books, voted Marvin their Member of the Year.

Marvin has acted in local community theater plays to raise money for various charities. He has also had small parts in movies directed by Woody Allen. For many summers he directed plays at a summer camp. He has paid "Meet the Author" visits to schools, colleges, and educational conferences all over the United States, South America, Europe, Israel, and Japan.

The Terbans live in New York City and have two children and a granddaughter. Marvin loves to be a teacher and an author, read, take long walks in Central Park, go to movies and shows, watch good TV and listen to good radio, travel to many places in the United States and around the world, speak at educational conferences, visit schools, and best of all, spend time with his family.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
1,046 global ratings
Great book! I kid you not! The Germans LOVE tall, blue people!
5 Stars
Great book! I kid you not! The Germans LOVE tall, blue people!
Lord knows I'm having trouble with my Deutsch, but a German kid that drops by every Fridayis improving HIS "Englisch"with, this---old---Amerikaner. He loves this book, and I'm not pulling your leg! An old Germanidiom is "I felt it in my urine!" That's like, our, "I felt it in my bones."... neither of which is in thispocket-size book.DON'T be a pum'kin head! Buy this book!
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Top reviews from the United States

Cameron
5.0 out of 5 stars Good gift
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2024
Verified Purchase
Good gift idea for anyone who likes idioms. Really all there is to it. Book includes a lot of different idioms, most of which I had never heard of before. Quality of the book is pretty good. For the price, would recommend.
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Dasha
5.0 out of 5 stars I really would LOVE to recommend this book for all of people who ...
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2016
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I really would LOVE to recommend this book for all of people who are learning English as a second language and hope to know English idioms. I am from Ukraine, but now I am staying in LA to learn English. I was looking for some books that could helps me to understand the meaning of idioms because sometimes it was too difficult for me to figure out what they mean. This book has more than 700 idioms with examples, meanings and origins. The origins help me to remember the idioms easier. After I read some, I finally understand why people use idioms in particular situations and I feel like I will never forget them. It may not really helpful for academic courses or daily conversation, but it is easy to read anytime and it is good for FUN! Unless I am older than twenty, this book is fun enough! And especially, this is cheaper than others. So, I'd like to say just buy and read. I am 99% sure that buying this book is going to be a good choice
28 people found this helpful
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FuracãoChelsea
5.0 out of 5 stars I've loved this for about twenty years
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2019
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I received this book in probably sixth grade, when I was 11, around 2000. I spent hours reading through all of the idioms and their origins and meanings and have used it since when I want to find a different way to say something.

I also volunteer with and host exchange students and have taken to giving this book to many of them as a gift. It allows them to make sense of the things the people around them and in TV and movies say while enhancing their already excellent English.

I've now given it to my own son, who is 9, and he's just as enthralled as I was.

The book is bright, clear, organized, and never condescending. It's simple enough for kids but thorough enough for adults, and not too uncool for preteens and teens. I hope this book never goes out of print.
8 people found this helpful
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Gene
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for bathroom reading.
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2023
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This book is great. Very interesting on origin of where certain saying started. Great book for bathroom reading. Don't have to remember where you left off like a novel. You can just pick it up and Starr reading anywhere.
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Malinda E. Miller
4.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2016
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A great book. It will be very useful as my daughter gets older (she's only 7 now) and even I have learned a thing or two about the origin & meaning of some of the things we say! Very interesting. My only complaint is that the paper is odd. It's more like a newsprint paper than what one would typically expect to find in a reference book. Maybe this was stated in the product description and I missed, I don't know. Some people may like the feel and texture of newsprint so this could actually be a positive for some. Anyway, the book is still useful and informative, I just do not like the paper.
2 people found this helpful
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Springlering
5.0 out of 5 stars Useful for ESOL and Deaf
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2016
Verified Purchase
I purchased this for a deaf sibling, who was having trouble understanding idioms. It never occurred to me that, not having actually "heard" them as a matter of course while growing up, they had no idea what certain things meant, until, one day, they came out and just started asking me to explain. Turns out they had been to embarrassed to ask what certain sayings meant, and had been either taking them literally, for fear of being considered stupid, or guessing on their own. I didn't think they were dumb. In fact, I felt dumb and insensitive myself for never having considered it. And we ain't young either. That's how long it took them to gather their courage to ask. Idioms are just "there". You don't even realize it, they flow by so quickly, and new ones are invented every day.

My sibling was just clueless to the actual meaning of some conversations. They said that this book had been VERY helpful.

This book would also be useful to someone who does not speak English as their first language (many deaf people do consider ASL their first language, so they are in the same boat). English, particularly American English, has many, many colorful, even beautiful idioms, but you just don't realize , until you stop to think about it, that you can have an entire conversation that is NOTHING but idioms. I use the freetranslation website frequently to communicate with overseas friends, and when I see my conversation in writing, I often realize I am creating an idiomatic message, and have to back up and state exactly what I mean. I can imagine it is a minefield for people trying to learn or understand English.
8 people found this helpful
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Gail from Lake Geneva
5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for people learning English
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2015
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I bought this book to help as I tutor a Mexican woman in English. Idioms can be the hardest thing to learn, since they don't always make sense. I wanted to be sure she understands them, even if she doesn't always have to come up with them herself. There are multiple ways to say things and she can get her message across without using idioms, but she will be at a disadvantage if she doesn't recognize them when someone else uses them.

I like that the book includes 3 resources for each idiom - a definition, a use in a sentence, plus the derivation. Also, the idioms are listed in alphabetical order, so it is an easy reference. This book should make learning more fun.
13 people found this helpful
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Donna Keller
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun homeschool learning through Idiom hangman
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2020
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This is a great resource. I bought it to be part of a language arts curriculum that I created to homeschool my 8 year old during Covid. We play hangman for fun at her dry erase easel. The topic of late has exclusively been Idioms. We take turns thumbing through the book and selecting an idiom for the other to guess. And after each round we read the book entry together. She learns the meanings and we both learn the origins. We’ve now done at least 50.
2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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madhu
5.0 out of 5 stars Very good book with meaning and sentence
Reviewed in India on December 23, 2023
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You can keep one for knowledge.
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Mrs A
5.0 out of 5 stars A useful resource!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
I like to have resources that help me when working with a one-to-ond child, or a group of children. A good resource which I am glad I purchased!
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AS
4.0 out of 5 stars Good book for kids to learn idioms
Reviewed in Germany on March 25, 2019
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Good book for kids to learn idioms.
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Amazon カスタマー
5.0 out of 5 stars レファレンス用というよりも「読み物」として楽しい
Reviewed in Japan on August 13, 2020
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本書に収録されているイディオムは700余り。これは例えば『Oxford Dictionary of Idioms』の10000超には遠く及ばないが、読みやすさから言えば断然こちらだ。

まず第一に、本のサイズが、横16.1cm、縦21.6 cm と比較的大きく、活字も大きいので目が悪い人でも安心して楽しめる。一方、先に挙げた『Oxford Dictionary of Idioms』は活字が小さく、ルーペの助けなしには読めない。

第二に、レイアウトが見やすく実用的。本書の構成は、①イディオム②イディオムを使った例文③意味④由来という構成を取っている。
例えば、一番最初に掲載されているイディオムは「ace up your sleeve」だが、
①ace up your sleeve
②I don't know how Henry is going to get his mom to buy him a bike, but I'm sure he has an ace up his sleeve.
③Meaning: a surprise or secret advantage, especially something　tricky that is kept hidden until needed
④Origin:Back in the 1500s,most people didn't have pockets in their clothes,...（以下略）
という構成である。これはレファレンス用というよりは、実際の会話でどう使うかを伝えることに主眼が置かれた構成だろう。

ちなみに、商品紹介にある「Cat got your tongue?」はTex Averyのアニメ「Symphony in Slang」（邦題：「へんな体験記」）でも使われていたが、本書によれば、初出の年代は分かっているものの、由来については分からないそうだ（とは言え、「Why don't you talk?」の洒落た言い方として広まったのではないかという推測は書いてある）。

本書は、辞書的な価値としては低いかもしれないが、読み物としては楽しい。楽しみながらイディオムを学びたい人にはピッタリの本だと思う。
13 people found this helpful
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ISABELLA
5.0 out of 5 stars Idioms
Reviewed in Spain on March 9, 2015
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Recopilación de Idioms para entender mejor su significado y que sea más fácil poderlos aplicar en la vida cotidiana, tanto a nivel escrito como a nivel oral.
One person found this helpful
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