The Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs

by Jennifer Speake (Editor)

Overview

This unique and authoritative dictionary contains over 1,100 of the most widely used proverbs in English, utilizing the latest research from the Oxford Languages team to source them. This edition has been thoroughly revised and updated, broadening the cultural range of the proverbs selected, and covering sayings of international origins. With a strong emphasis on concisely explaining the meaning of the proverbs described, the dictionary also provides additional examples of usage, and includes a fascinating history for many entries. Arranged in A-Z order and with a useful thematic index, A Dictionary of Proverbs is ideal for browsing and perfectly suited for quick reference. Look up your old favourites, learn punchy new expressions to get your point across, and find the answer to that crossword clue. It is never too late to learn: find proverbs relevant to every aspect of life in this entertaining and informative collection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198734901
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/24/2015
Series:	Oxford Quick Reference
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	470,400
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Jennifer Speake is a freelance writer. She was the editor of the first editions of The Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (1997) and The Oxford Dictionary of Idioms (1999).

Table of Contents

Editor's Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Dictionary
Bibliography
Thematic Index
Editor's Preface
Abbreviations
Introduction
Dictionary
Bibliography
Thematic Index

Editorial Reviews

Speake, editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases and the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms, brings her experience to this new edition of a well-known classic reference. Updated and expanded (by 40 new proverbs) to include 1100 proverbs, which John Simpson defines in the introduction as "a traditional saying that offers advice or presents a moral in a short and pithy manner," this edition features a similar arrangement, with proverbs listed by their first significant word, and cross references listed from each subsequent significant word. The focus is on proverbs in common usage in Great Britain in the last 200 years, but proverbs that originated in other English-speaking regions, including the United States, are included if they are used in Britain or are prevalent in their region of origin. Each entry includes the full proverb followed by the first known usage in print in English and several other quotations up to the present. This resource does not provide as many entries as David Pickering's Cassell Dictionary of Proverbs (1997), but its entries are significantly longer. It is also comparable to the Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs & Sayings (1996) but the latter is less scholarly in tone. Bottom Line Though not a replacement for Oxford's A Dictionary of American Proverbs, this is an excellent addition to libraries that have use for proverbs dictionaries. Recommended.-Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

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