The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable PDF Author: Elizabeth Knowles
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191578568
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 1164

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Book Description
This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. What is a ham-and-egger? What are Anglo-Saxon attitudes? Who or what is liable to jump the shark? Who first tried to nail jelly to the wall? The answers to these and many more questions are in this fascinating book. Here in one volume you can track down the stories behind the names and sayings you meet, whether in classic literature or today's news. Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled bank of reference and language online resources, this dictionary covers classical and other mythologies, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture. Extensive cross referencing makes it easy to trace specific information, while every page points to further paths to explore. A fascinating slice of cultural history, and a browser's delight from start to finish. What is the fog of war? Who first wanted to spend more time with one's family? When was the Dreamtime? How long since the first cry of Women and children first? Where might you find dark matter? Would you want the Midas touch? Should you worry about grey goo?

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable PDF Author: Elizabeth Knowles
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191578568
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 1164

Get Book Here

Book Description
This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. What is a ham-and-egger? What are Anglo-Saxon attitudes? Who or what is liable to jump the shark? Who first tried to nail jelly to the wall? The answers to these and many more questions are in this fascinating book. Here in one volume you can track down the stories behind the names and sayings you meet, whether in classic literature or today's news. Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled bank of reference and language online resources, this dictionary covers classical and other mythologies, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture. Extensive cross referencing makes it easy to trace specific information, while every page points to further paths to explore. A fascinating slice of cultural history, and a browser's delight from start to finish. What is the fog of war? Who first wanted to spend more time with one's family? When was the Dreamtime? How long since the first cry of Women and children first? Where might you find dark matter? Would you want the Midas touch? Should you worry about grey goo?

Brewer?s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (20th edition)

Brewer?s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (20th edition) PDF Author: Susie Dent
Publisher: Chambers
ISBN: 1473692970
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
'This is, in fact, not what you were looking for; but it's much more interesting.' Terry Pratchett Much loved for its wit and wisdom since 1870, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable takes you on a captivating adventure through its trademark blend of language, culture, myth and legend. Nowhere else could the histories of the guillotine and Guinness stout sit so comfortably alongside the KGB and the Keystone Kops. Brewer's is a catalogue of curiosities and absurdities that, over almost 150 years in print, has acquired near-mythical status. Edited by Susie Dent, this new edition includes a brand new Collection of Curious Words and many new and updated entries. Its pages brim with esoteric and entertaining oddities - everything from curious customs to the world of newspapers and political alliances of yesteryear - all seen through the distinctive Brewer lens. This twentieth edition of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable encapsulates all the charm and wit that characterise its predecessors and maintains the standards of scholarship and eclecticism that have long been its hallmark. Whether you're a committed Brewerphile or a newcomer to its pages of fascinating entries, this edition will draw you in and keep you glued to its rich mix of eccentric nuggets. As Susie Dent explains in the foreword, Brewer's "is unlike any other reference book that exists, anywhere."

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying, and Quotation

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying, and Quotation PDF Author: Elizabeth M. Knowles
Publisher: Oxford : Oxford University Press
ISBN:
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 728

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Book Description
Compiles over 10,000 quotations, proverbs, and phrases on over 350 themes, among them actors and acting, bores and boredom, elections, food and drink, kissing, madness, schools, taxes, the weather, and youth. Many are attributed, with reference to particular works, while others merely explain the meaning and sometimes the background. For example, a Carthaginian peace is a peace settlement that imposes very severe terms of the defeated side, and refers to the ultimate destruction of Carthage by Rome in the Punic Wars. A keyword index presents abbreviated versions to facilitate finding a particular, perhaps half remembered, quotation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable PDF Author: Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
Publisher: Wordsworth Editions
ISBN: 9781840223101
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 1166

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Book Description
This work explains the origins of the familiar and the unfamiliar in everyday speech and literature, including the colloquial and the proverbial. It embraces archaeology, history, religion, the arts, science, mythology and characters from fiction.

Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

Dictionary of Phrase and Fable PDF Author: Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Allusions
Languages : en
Pages : 1528

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Book Description


Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs

Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs PDF Author: Elizabeth Knowles
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0191084247
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 469

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Book Description
Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs features over 2,000 proverbs and sayings from around the world, arranged across 250 subjects - from 'Books' and 'Borrowing' to 'Dreams' and 'Drink'. Each theme has a short introduction giving an overview of the proverbial treatment of the topic and each proverb is accompanied by information on its date, source, and meaning. Not only is this book a pleasure to browse but it is ideal for quick reference with its comprehensive index that makes it easy to find the exact phrase you're looking for. Beautifully produced and designed, it is the perfect gift for anyone who loves language. Drawing on Oxford's ongoing dictionary research and language monitoring, the second edition of this delightful book adds phrases that have come to prominence, or increased in popularity, since publication of the first edition, such as 'Never waste a good crisis' and 'Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have', which add a contemporary flavour to the selection of more traditional English proverbs, and the popular sayings used in the English-speaking world from Asia, Africa, Middle East, and many other cultures. Find phrases on all aspects of life in this fascinating little book.

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable PDF Author: Ebenezer Cobham Brewer
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Allusions
Languages : en
Pages : 1175

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Book Description


The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable PDF Author: Elizabeth M. Knowles
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780192801258
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 598

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Book Description
The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable is a new reference work, providing a wealth of fascinating and informative background detail for over 10,000 phrases and allusions used in English today. Drawing from Oxford's unrivalled bank of language and quotation on-line resources, this highly browsable pot pourri of allusive terms includes entries from a broad range of topics, from classical mythology, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy,and popular culture. From African Eve to white van man, from Barbie doll and bunny boiler to the big bang theory, the dictionary gives reliable, up-to-date insights into the origin and history of words and phrases, with ample cross-referencing.

The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang

The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang PDF Author: John Ayto
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780198610526
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 324

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Book Description
A dictionary of modern slang draws on the resources of the "Oxford English Dictionary" to cover over five thousand slang words and phrases from throughout the English-speaking world.

Oxford Dictionary of Idioms

Oxford Dictionary of Idioms PDF Author: John Ayto
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0192584383
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 876

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Book Description
What is it to 'cock a snook', where is the land of Nod, and who was first to go the extra mile? Find the answers to these questions (and many more!) in the new edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms. This dictionary uncovers the meanings of myriad phrases and sayings that are used daily in the English language, encompassing more than 10,000 figurative expressions, similes, sayings, and proverbs. More than 400 idioms have been added to this new edition, and comprise recently coined and common sayings alike. New additions include 'back of the net', 'drag and drop', 'go it alone', 'how come?', 'if you ask me', 'make your skin crawl', and 'woe betide'. Illustrative quotations sourced from the Oxford corpora give contextual examples of the idioms and their standard usage, and many entries include background information on the origins of the idiom in question. An updated thematic index makes for easy navigation, and anyone who is interested in the origins and diversity of English vernacular will have hours of fun browsing this fascinating dictionary.