Includes indexes.

In the beginning -- Let there be light -- Be fruitful and multiply -- My brother's keeper -- Two by two -- A coat of many colours -- Fire and brimstone -- Begat -- Thou shalt not -- Manna, milk, and honey -- Eyes, teeth, and loins -- What hath been wrought -- Bread alone -- How are the mighty fallen! -- The skin of one's teeth -- Out of the mouths of babes -- Pride goes before a fall -- Nothing new under the sun -- Fly in the ointment -- No peace for the wicked -- Be horribly afraid -- Seeing the light -- Eyes, ears, cheeks -- Speaking, shouting, wailing, writing -- Shaking, turning, moving -- Many and few, first and last -- Fights, foes, fools, friends -- Praising famous men -- Sheep, goats, swine -- Money, wages, pearls, mites -- Blessed are the servants -- Heal thyself -- Times and seasons -- Birth, life, and death -- Countries, kingdoms, Armageddon -- Building houses, mansions, sepulchres -- Millstones, crosses, yokes, pricks -- Sowing seeds -- Salt and wine -- The law, judges, thieves, swords -- Love and charity -- Peace, patience, wrath, whore -- Appendixes. Expressions discussed in this book -- Number of references made to Old and New Testament sources.

How can a work published in 1611 have had such a lasting influence on the language? To answer this question, Crystal offers fascinating discussions of phrases such as "The skin of one's teeth" or "Out of the mouth of babes," tracing how these memorable lines have found independent life in the work of poets, playwrights, novelists, politicians, and journalists, and how more recently they have been taken up with enthusiasm by advertisers, Hollywood, and hip-hop. --from publisher description.

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