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ISBN: 978-0-7645-2477-6

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

“No man [or woman] is an island. . . .” And this was well proven during the monumental adventure of writing
Webster’s New World American Idioms Handbook.
The support, encouragement, and exceeding competence of family, friends, colleagues, and editors gave me the impetus and much-needed assistance to write this book.

First, I must thank Acquisitions Editor Roxane Cerda for inviting me to the task, and for her mastery in getting the project rolling. She handled all of the initial details and follow-up with her usual skill, ease, and aplomb. It was a great pleasure working with you again, Roxane. (And thanks for that terrific list of idioms!)

Secondly, I thank the heavens for sending Project Editor Ben Nussbaum. His expertise and cool-headed management of this project made all the difference. I’m very grateful for his commonsense advice and keen take on what makes for clear reading. His skill, dedication, and easy-going manner greatly contributed to the successful and timely completion of this book. Ben, as editors go, “you rock!”

Copy Editor Mark Enochs did an expert job, along with Ben, editing this formidable manuscript, and clarifying many a vague and awkward line. Thanks, Mark. And thanks also to Jan Zunkel, Bethany André, and Blair Pottenger, who participated in editing portions of the manuscript. Also thanks to the entire production crew who put it all together.

Warm thanks to my colleagues who assisted me in so many ways. First and foremost, I’m very grateful to Lori Colman for her invaluable commitment of time and energy researching idioms, writing innumerable definitions and sample sentences, and offering suggestions. I couldn’t have done it without you . . . and that’s a fact! To Patricia Sullivan, Lynn Clausen, and Joyce Flager, who reviewed portions of the manuscript, I greatly appreciated your expert feedback and your help clarifying technical points and locating errors. Many thanks to Peggy Miles, “grammarian extraordinaire,” to editor Wallace Baine for movie slang, and to Sarah Phelan, my “British idioms consultant,” who helped set me straight on a host of Britishisms.

I gratefully thank my Generation X “language consultants” Forrest, Josh, Sid, Skye, Larson, and Betsy. And I’m equally grateful to Dottie Yingling, the coolest 90 year old around, for enlightening me on slang from The Greatest Generation. My fabulous friends gave their unflagging support, inspiration, and encouragement, as well as idiom book loans, slang suggestions, “The Story of English,” and late-night chats. Much gratitude and thanks to Deborah Abbott and Rebecca Tavish, to Chuck Ernst (my computer hero) and Joanne Tanner, to Sharon Webber, Adrienne Zihlman, and finally to Joyce Flager and Jan Fitzgerald for putting their foot down on Christmas Day and making me turn off the computer.

And lastly, on the home front, I’m very thankful for the enduring support and encouragement of my son Joshua Harris, who helped sustain my spirit, made me laugh, and saw that I took a break now and again. And who, along with pal Sid, brought me lively idioms “from the street,” and from the kitchen, innumerable steaming cups of tea. Awesome, you guys. Thanks!

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