The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying and Quotation

by ElizabethKnowles (Editor)

• Used

  Paperback
  1997

  $4.20

  This dictionary, which is a companion volume to the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations , brings together over 10,000 quotations, proverbs, and phrases, in an easy to use browsable format. Over 350 diverse themes have been chosen, with the aim of covering as broad a range of topics as possible, for example, actors and acting, animals, bores and boredom, elections, food and drink, kissing, madness, the past, schools, science, taxes, virtue, the weather, and youth. A selection of chronologically arranged quotations appears under each theme, supported wherever possible by interrelated proverbs and phrases which throw further light on the topic. To clarify the terminology used, a quotation has broadly been defined as something traceable back to a single utterance at a given instance; proverbs are seen as embodying an essential truth, likely to have been coined by different people at different times; phrases are taken to be a group of words (not a sentence) with a particular meaning . To aid understanding of the material, explanatory notes are given wherever this is felt to be useful, and cross-references take the reader to other relevant themes in the text. In addition to finding material under a particular theme, readers can also consult two different indexes, one organized by author and one by keyword.

• Used

  Hardcover
  2006

  $3.25

  A rich profusion of proverbs, phrases, and quotations, arranged under a wide range of subjects, make this book the ideal place to look for an apt or pithy expression, or to explore the background of an extensive selection of related sayings and phrases. This new edition of an Oxford classic traces the links between treasured sayings in our language, and explains their varied origins. For the first time, Oxford's unique language research has identified proverbs from non-Western languages newly adopted into English, and these are featured joining a cornucopia of well-chosen words from Biblical times to the present day. A full keyword index and generous cross referencing allow the book to function both as a look-up resource and a browser's delight. a firebell in the night. - Phrase from Thomas Jefferson on Danger Do not call a wolf to help you against the dogs. - Russian proverb on Enemies Select a proper site for your garden and half your work is done. - Chinese proverb on Gardens Don't sell the skin till you have caught the bear. - English proverb on Optimism Whoever commands the sea...commands the riches of the world.- Walter Ralegh on The Sea A seed hidden in the heart of an apple is an orchard invisible. - Welsh proverb on Trees The weather is like the Government, always in the wrong. - Jerome K. Jerome on The Weather