SPILLING THE BEANS ON THE CAT'S PYJAMAS

You wouldn't be 'barking mad' if, when asked the definition of certain phrases, 'the cat got your tongue' and you 'clammed up'. Let's not 'beat about the bush': the English language is littered with linguistic quirks that, on closer examination, seem utterly fantastical.

Judy Parkinson explores the many colourful - but rather incomprehensible - phrases that enhance our language, describing their origins and defining their true meanings.