Author: Linda Flavell
Publisher: Kyle Cathie Limited
ISBN: 9781856265638
Category : English language
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
This dictionary traces the origins and histories of over 400 proverbs, detailing the changes of meaning and usage that have occurred throughout each proverb's life and offering literary examples dating back over 2000 years.
Author: Wolfgang Mieder
Publisher: New York : Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0195053990
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 1348
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Book Description
Americans have a gift for coining proverbs. "A picture is worth a thousand words" was not, as you might imagine, the product of ancient Chinese wisdom -- it was actually minted by advertising executive Fred Barnard in a 1921 advertisement for Printer's Ink magazine. After all, Americans are first and foremost a practical people and proverbs can be loosely defined as pithy statements that are generally accepted as true and useful. The next logical step would be to gather all of this wisdom together for a truly American celebration of shrewd advice.A Dictionary of American Proverbs is the first major collection of proverbs in the English language based on oral sources rather than written ones. Listed alphabetically according to their most significant key word, it features over 15,000 entries including uniquely American proverbs that have never before been recorded, as well as thousands of traditional proverbs that have found their way into American speech from classical, biblical, British, continental European, and American literature. Based on the fieldwork conducted over thirty years by the American Dialect Society, this volume is complete with historical references to the earliest written sources, and supplies variants and recorded geographical distribution after each proverb.Many surprised await the reader in this vast treasure trove of wit and wisdom. Collected here are nuggets of popular wisdom on all aspects of American life: weather, agriculture, travel, money, business, food, neighbors, friends, manners, government, politics, law, health, education, religion, music, song, and dance. And, to further enhance browsing pleasure, the editors have provided a detailed guide to the use of the work. While it's true that many of our best known proverbs have been supplied by the ever-present "Anonymous," many more can be attributed to some very famous Americans, like Ernest Hemingway, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, J. Pierpont Morgan, Thomas Alva Edison, Abigail Adams, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, to name but a few offered in this fascinating collection.Who wouldn't want to know the origin of "the opera ain't over till the fat lady sings?" This uniquely American proverb and many more are gathered together in A Dictionary of American Proverbs. A great resource for students and scholars of literature, psychology, folklore, linguistics, anthropology, and cultural history, this endlessly intriguing volume is also a delightful companion for anyone with an interest in American culture.
Author: John Simpson
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780192800022
Category : Proverbs, American
Languages : en
Pages : 316
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Book Description
Lists recorded usages and meaning for hundreds of proverbs arranged by key word, from "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" to "Youth must be served."
Author:
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300136021
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 310
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Book Description
Collects more than 1,400 English-language proverbs that arose in the 20th and 21st centuries, organized alphabetically by key words and including information on date of origin, history and meaning.
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.
Author: J. A. Simpson
Publisher: Oxford [Oxfordshire] ; New York : Oxford University Press
ISBN:
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 282
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Book Description
The dictionary gives explanations of the meanings and use of proverbs whenever these are obscure. By means of numerous illustrative quotations it also provides a documentary history of each proverb from its first recorded use in written English, and supplies details of earlier related forms in other languages.
Author: William Morris
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 006015862X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 516
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Book Description
The Morrises, well-known lexicographers, published a dictionary of the same title in 1977, a revision of a three-volume work published between 1962 and 1971. This new revision, which provides histories of interesting words and phrases in the English language, is similar in concept to several books by John Ciardi. Like Ciardi's works, the etymologies and phrase origins are presented in a readable style, making them a joy to browse.
Author: Gregory Titelman
Publisher: Random House Reference
ISBN:
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 490
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Book Description
An annotated reference of more than 1,500 proverbs and sayings of the American language.
Author: Elizabeth Knowles
Publisher: OUP Oxford
ISBN: 0191578568
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 816
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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?
Author: Martin H. Manser
Publisher: Infobase Publishing
ISBN: 0816066736
Category : Proverbs, English
Languages : en
Pages : 513
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Book Description
Lists the meaning and origin of more than 1,700 traditional and contemporary English proverbs.
