Duration: 1st April – 30th April
Number of books: 8
Hosted by: Crazy Challenge Connection
Have some fun while eating all those Easter Eggs – learn some eggcellent expressions about the humble, little egg.
1. To egg someone on makes a verb out of egg and means “to incite or urge; encourage.” Of course, this has no relation to the eggs we eat for breakfast. It comes from the Old Norse term eggja with a similar verbal meaning.
ʘ Read a book where one character encourages another character to do something; tell us the ‘egger’ and ‘eggee’ OR read a book whose primary setting is Norway. – Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
2. The term “Egghead” entered English with the sense of “a bald person.” But it gained notoriety in the presidential campaign of 1952 when it was used in reference to democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson-along with his followers-with a pejorative sense of “an intellectual.” Stevenson offered the following cheeky Latinism in response to criticisms that intellectualism cost him the campaign: Via ovum cranium difficilis est, roughly translated as “the way of the egghead is hard.”
ʘ Read a book in which a main character is bald OR read a book having anything to do with politics. – Tough Mothers by Jason Porath
3. The expression “to lay an egg” means to fare wretchedly, especially to be unsuccessful in front of an audience. Its origins are obscure, but its association with failure had been firmly established in the lexicon by the early to mid-1900s as evidenced by Variety magazine’s famous headline from October 30, 1929, the day after the stock market crash: “Wall St. Lays an Egg.”
ʘ Read a book in which a character embarrasses themselves in front of others; briefly tell us about the incident OR read a book about a topic that might make news headlines; tell us the topic. – Dragon’s Breath by E.D. Baker (Emma’s constant mistakes with magic and turning into a frog)
4. Teach your grandmother to suck eggs: this curious expression emerged in the 1700s with the meaning of “to presume to teach someone something that he or she knows already.” The expression was most likely conceived as a comical way to drive the message home that elders know more than their juniors imagine.
ʘ Read a book whose main character is an older person (65+ years) OR read a book whose author’s first and last initials may be found in “SUCK EGGS.” – Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh
5. The expression “Egg on one’s face” conveys humiliation or embarrassment resulting from having said or done something foolish or unwise. It came into usage in the mid-1900s, and its origins are obscure. One theory is that it evolved out of teenage slang, and that it referenced a messy manner of eating that might leave food around one’s mouth.
ʘ Read a book whose cover shows a human face – the face must occupy at least half of the cover* OR read a book where a character is known for their sloppiness or messiness.
*Examples:
6. To walk on eggs: this expression may sound like an ill-conceived circus act, but the saying “to walk on eggs” means to walk or act very cautiously, especially so as not to offend or upset anybody. The expression first appeared in the 1740s as “trod upon Eggs.” Around 1990 this changed, and the expressions “walking on eggshells” and “walk on eggshells” both skyrocketed in use, while “walking on eggs” and “walk on eggs” waned in popularity.
ʘ Read a book published originally in the 1990’s (1990-1999); tell us when OR read a book where a character likes to walk or hike; tell us who. – The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa
7. Putting all of your eggs in the refrigerator or the frying pan is one thing; putting all of them in one basket is another thing entirely. This idiomatic expression means “to venture all of something that one possesses in a single enterprise.” It is often used in negative constructions, such as “don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” to caution against the risk of such behavior. English speakers have been using this turn of phrase, if not heeding its wisdom, since the mid-1600s.
ʘ Read a book with a basket on its cover; post the cover OR read a book in which a character gets involved in risky behavior; briefly tell us who and what. – Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
8. The phrase nest egg has been around since the late 1500s. When it entered English, it meant “an egg placed in a nest to induce a hen to continue laying eggs,” although it was often used in figurative contexts to refer to an object used as a decoy or an inducement. Nowadays, it is widely used to mean “money saved and held in reserve for emergencies, retirement, etc.”
ʘ Read a book involving finances (be as creative as you want, just be sure to explain how your book fits) OR read a book with either a bird or a nest on its cover; post the cover.
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Title: Blood Lite III: Aftertaste
