Ntc's American Idioms Dictionary (National Textbook Language Dictionaries) [Paperback]

Richard A., Ph.D. Spears (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0844208264 | ISBN-13: 978-0844208268 | Publication Date: August 1993 | Edition: 2nd

"NTC's American Idioms Dictionary" contains an exceptionally comprehensive Phrase-Finder Index that allows you to look up any key word in an expression and find the exact location of that expression in the main body of the dictionary. This unique feature allows you to identify and locate partially remembered expressions quickly and easily.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Idioms are figures of speech that can defy literal interpretation and confound both native and non-native speakers of American English. This resource covers 8500 "proverbs, informal phrases and common sayings." Phrases are arranged alphabetically by the first word of the phrase, excluding articles such as a, an, and the. Typical entries provide brief definitions and examples of usage. The phrase finder index links keywords such as "cranny" to phrases such as "every nook and cranny." An appendix (not seen) features irreversible two- or three-word phrases (e.g., fast and furious, not furious and fast). Readers seeking the stories behind inscrutable expressions may choose to consult slang or historical dictionaries instead. Libraries that already own American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms or Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang may wish to pass on this work.DElizabeth Connor, Medical Univ. of South Carolina Lib., Charleston
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

If you have ever wondered what it is like to be at sixes or sevens or to raise hob with someone, NTC's American Idioms Dictionary is the place to look for answers. Containing more than 8,500 idiomatic phrases commonly occurring in daily conversation in the U.S., this third edition, with more than 600 new senses, defines our many baffling and confusing expressions. Although word origins are not given, this source focuses on what the users need to know: the meaning, usage, and the appropriate contexts for each idiomatic phrase.Several features make this dictionary easy and appealing to use. An introductory chapter clearly and thoroughly provides strategies to assist in finding a phrase or expression. Entries are arranged alphabetically by first word of the phrase. Some definitions are followed by comments that explain variations of the phrase and what the phrase refers to. The idiom is used in a sample sentence, and should the idiom have an alternate meaning, additional sentences are given. Definitions are further enhanced by cross-references and labels such as "folksy" and "informal." A convenient "Phrase-Finder Index" uses any keyword--noun, verb, adjective, or adverb--to guide in the location of a hard-to-find idiom. An appendix lists 500 irreversible binomials and trinomials, the two or three words always stated in a fixed order (e.g., before and after; heart and soul; hook, line, and sinker ).Several other recent dictionaries of idiomatic phrases are available. The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms (1997) surveys more than 10,000 expressions and provides approximate dates of first use and histories. The Cassell Dictionary of English Idioms [RBB O 1 00] defines approximately 10,000 idioms used in North America, Australia, New Zealand, and the British Isles. The NTC entry is a solid choice for libraries needing an up-to-date, reasonably priced resource that focuses on American English. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Natl Textbook Co Trade; 2nd edition (August 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844208264
• ISBN-13: 978-0844208268
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,750,704 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars English As A Second Language, August 8, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: NTC's American Idioms Dictionary (Paperback)

I am a tutor in an advanced English as a second language class. Students at this level have a terrible time understanding American idiomatic phrases. This book meets their needs quite well. The examples of the correct use for each idiom is particullarly helpful. Its relatively low cost is a major plus since these students are usually struggling financially.

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Just what the doctor ordered" if origins had been included!, August 24, 2000

By 

"wherstead" (Cullman, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ntc's American Idioms Dictionary (National Textbook Language Dictionaries) (Paperback)

NTC's American Idioms Dictionary, Second Edition by lexicographer Richard A. Spears provides 12,000 examples of usage for over 8,500 idiomatic forms in American English. The Dictionary contains an exceptionally comprehensive Phrase-Finder Index that allows you to look up any key word in an expression and find the exact location of that expression in the main body of the dictionary. This unique feature allows you to identify and locate partially remembered expressions quickly and easily.

NTC's American Idioms Dictionary is designed for easy use by life-long speakers of English, as well as the new-to-English speaker or learner. An appendix includes 500 irreversible binomial and trinomial phrases. The dictionary contains a unique Phrase-Finder Index that allows the user to identify and look up any expression in the dictionary from a single key word.

This is a dictionary of form and meaning. It focuses on the user's need to know the meaning, usage, and appropriate contexts for each idiomatic phrase. The definitions and examples provide sufficient information to allow a person trained in English grammar to parse the idiomatic expressions. Persons who do not understand English grammar or English grammar terminology and who cannot themselves parse the idiomatic expressions or example sentences do not derive much benefit from grammatical explanations. The dictionary relies on clarity, simplicity, and carefully written examples to lead the user to the meaning and appropriate usage of each idiomatic expression.

The special features that make this book useful for learners do not detract from or interfere with its usefulness for the life-long English speaker, and should, in fact, add to its usefulness. Specialized knowledge of English lexical and sentential semantics and English grammar is not used in indexing, defining, or explaining the idiomatic expressions.

Idioms or idiomatic expressions are often defined as "set phrases" or "fixed phrases." The number of idiomatic expressions that are totally invariant is really quite small, however, even when the English proverbs are included in this category. Most such phrases can vary the choice of noun or pronoun and most select from a wide variety of verb tense and aspect patterns. Adjectives and some adverbs can be added at will to idiomatic phrases. Furthermore, the new-to-English user is faced with the difficulty of isolating an idiomatic expression from the rest of the sentence and determining where to find it in a dictionary of idioms. If the user fails to extract the essential idiomatic expression, the likelihood of finding it in any dictionary is reduced considerably.

In dictionaries that list each idiomatic expression under a "key word," there may be some difficulty in deciding what the "key word" is. In phrases such as on the button or in the cards, the key word, the only noun in the phrase, is easy to determine if one has correctly isolated the phrase from the sentence in which it was found. In phrases that have more than one noun, such as all hours of the day and night or A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, deciding on a "key word" may be more difficult. It is even more difficult when the only noun in the phrase is one of the variable words, such as with go around with her old friends, go around with Jim, go around with no one at all, which are examples of go around with someone.

Another important feature for the learner is the use of object placeholders indicating human and nonhuman. Typical dictionary entries for idiomatic phrases-especially for phrasal verbs, prepositional verbs, and phrasal prepositional verbs-omit direct objects, as in put on hold; bail out, or see through. This dictionary uses the stand-in pronouns someone and something to indicate whether the verb in the phrase calls for an object, where the object should go in the sentence, whether the object can be human or nonhuman, and if there are different meanings dependent on whether the object is human or nonhuman. All of that information is vital to learners of English, although it seems to come perfectly naturally to life-long English speakers. For example, there is a big difference between put someone on hold and put something on hold, or between bail someone out and bail something out. There is also a great difference between see something through and see through something. These differences may never be revealed if the entry heads are just put on hold, bail out, and see through, with no object indicated.

Many idioms have optional parts. In fact, a phrase may seem opaque simply because it is really just an ellipsis of a longer, less opaque phrase. This dictionary shows as full a form of an idiom as possible with the frequently omitted parts in parentheses. For example: back down (from someone or something) and be all eyes (and ears).

The dictionary includes numerous irreversible binomials and trinomials-sequences of 2 or 3 words that are in a fixed order, such as fast and furious, but not furious and fast. These sequences are listed in the Appendix, and those that require explanation are cross-referenced to entries in the dictionary.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Level with someone, July 20, 2000

By 

"soulmates4ever" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Ntc's American Idioms Dictionary (National Textbook Language Dictionaries) (Paperback)

;to be honest with someone... So i am going to level with you :o) This is a gotta have book for anyone in love with our ever changing American English... so read it and rediscover your love afair with words. Perfect gift for anyone new to America and our way of reshaping the English Language.