Our language is filled with animal expressions, many of them so familiar that we rarely stop to wonder where they came from or when they first appeared. Cool Cats, Top Dogs, and Other Beastly Expressions tells the stories of more than one thousand beastly words and phrases in fascinating and highly informative essays that you will turn to again and again. So whether you"re "crowing over your accomplishments" or "going to the dogs", feeling "happy as a clam" or "madder than a wet hen", you"re sure to enjoy this entertaining look at the animal expressions that color and enliven our everyday language.