Modernized Sayings: Where the Old Sayings Came From, and What We Say Now

Nobody keeps their nose to the grindstone anymore. They keep it glued to the laptop.

We still say "hang up the phone," "roll down the window," and "don't touch that dial," even though nobody under forty has done any of those things. Most of us have no idea where these sayings came from. Some of us aren't even sure what they mean.

Modernizing Sayings takes fifty-three of the old standbys, digs up where each one actually started, and then does the thing nobody has bothered to do: brings it up to date.

Inside you'll find:

- The real origins, from 16th-century knife grinders to a 1941 New Yorker cartoon, with the popular myths cleared out along the way
- A modern replacement for every saying. Strike while the iron is hot becomes Hit "Send" before the trend ends. Spill the beans becomes Leak the group chat. Herding cats becomes Managing a group text with twelve opinions.
- A short, plain-spoken lesson on why each one still matters at work, at home, and in the group chat

Seven chapters cover the office, technology, communication, family, timing, common sense, and reputation, and the book closes with the author's favorite: soup to nuts, and what it should be called now.

Quick to read, easy to argue with, and a perfect gift for anyone who has ever been told to hold their horses. Don't agree with a modernization? Good. The author wants to hear yours for the next edition.