This is a book by a nationally syndicated language columnist Rob Kyff that relates the surprising and fascinating stories behind hundreds of common words and phrases. With wit and warmth, Kyff spins the colourful yarns of courage and compassion, fakery and farce that lie behind our language. He sails the seven seas to find the salty sources of "bitter end", "taken aback" and "aloof". He discreetly disrobes the origins of "bikini", "negligee" and "lingerie", then drops in on a poker game to reveal the genesis of "pass the buck", "four-flusher" and "play both ends against the middle".