Chrysti The Wordsmith: Alliterative Cliches - 2

Hi I'm Christie the wordsmith. Last time on the series we visited a handful of alliterative cliches or common phrases that feature sound repetition as in bolt from the blue lap of luxury and the more the merrier which repeat the consonants B L and M respectively. Dozens of English language cliches feature the device of alliteration which seems to enhance their popularity. A tempest in a teapot is a big fuss over a small matter. This expression imported from England became well established in America by the mid 19th century. Margaret Mitchell had her Southern heroine utter the phrase in the 1936 novel Gone With The Wind quote I consider the whole affair a tempest in a teapot said Scarlett coldly. The alliterative expression dead as a doornail has weathered the centuries quite well. It can be traced back as far as thirteen fifty when it meant the same thing as it does today. Undeniably unquestionably really dead indoor

building carpenters once hammered nails through the lumber and clinched or bent them at the tips to stabilize the construction. Impossible to remove and reuse once a common practice. The clinched door nail was considered useless or dead. You can find more examples of alliterative expressions like these in Pirates or online cliche dictionaries. Next time on the series an exploration of vim and vigor. I'm Christie the wordsmith Christie the wordsmith the sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises a high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Zoot web dot com.