Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms

Scholastic Dictionary of Idioms

Reference tools may be a dime a dozen in this dog-eat-dog world, but here's a soup-to-nuts
dictionary of colloquialisms that doesn't beat
around the bush...a useful (and perhaps unique) resource for kids battled by the intricacies of the English language.
----The Bulletin of the Center for Children's
Books

As you can see, this is a dictionary of idioms,
so what do "a dime a dozen', "dog-eat-dog world", "soup to nuts", and "beat around the bush" mean?

Consult the dictionary, and you can get what they really mean.
1. A dime a dozen:
    very common and inexpensive; easy to get and available anywhere (p.46)
2. dog-eat-dog world:
    a way of life marked by fierce competition in which people compete ruthlessly for survival or success  (p.47)
3. from soup to nuts:
    the whole thing from beginning to end  (p.69)
4. beat around the bush:
    to avoid answering a question; to approach something carefully
or in a roundabout way (p.8)  
 
Besides giving the meaning of each idiom, the dictionary also presents an example sentence and its origin. Let's take "easy as pie" as an example.
Easy as Pie
Sample sentence

I thought that getting my teacher to raise my grade would be as easy as pie.

Meaning: not difficult; requiring practically no effort

Origin: There are two similar modern idioms that mean extremely easy; “easy as pie” and “piece of cake.” Why should they both relate to baked desserts? Perhaps to the people who coined the phrases, desserts were easier to make than other foods.

Isn't it quite interesting?

How to use this dictionary?
  This dictionary is organized from A to Z. Look for the meaning or origin of an idiom by looking under the first letter word of that idiom.
  And you can also consult the alphabetical index and key word index at the back of this book.
  Alphabetical Index
  A to Z
  Ace UP Your Sleeve
  Achilles' Heel
  ....
  Key Word Index
   B

  …

   Bell(s)  Ring a bell

   Bells and whistles

   Saved by the bell

  ...
As the author, Marvin Terban, puts it,

   English is a beautiful and rich language, but its many idioms are often tough nuts to crack. This Dictionary of Idioms should help make understanding these says as easy as pie.     

   Use this dictionary and have fun learning English.