Food: A Dictionary of Literal and Nonliteral Terms [Hardcover]

Robert Palmatier (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 30, 2000

Each of the more than seven hundred entries in the dictionary contains a description of the historical background of each of the two types of language, literal and nonliteral, and provides an explanation for the relationship between them. Wherever possible, dates of first record in English are provided, along with the bibliographical sources of these dates; and all of the works that record those terms and expressions are given in coded form as listed in the Key to Works Cited.

A Guide to Reading the Entries illustrates the typical form of an entry by analyzing an example from the dictionary that introduces five nonliteral expressions, cites thirteen bibliographical sources, and refers the reader to three other relevant entries by means of cross-references. Following the dictionary proper is a Classification of Terms According to Source, in which nearly three hundred nonliteral terms and expressions are listed under the more than four hundred literal categories from which they derive.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Perhaps overestimating the demand for phrase books, this compendium of food metaphors and idioms compiles 775 terms in alphabetic order. Entries open with variant phrasing and a list of coded titles keyed to 33 primary sources that range from the witty Hog on Ice and Other Curious Expressions (Harper, 1948) to the venerable Penguin Dictionary of English Idioms (1986). The work concludes with 61 pages of terms classified by subjects, such as bread , garbage , and maple .Palmatier's effort suggests the intense scrutiny of a wordsmith and purveyor of pop culture. His selection of entries covers the Shakespearian (caviar to the general ), the biblical (land of milk and honey), the Aesopian (sour grapes ), and the more contemporary (slush fund), along with regionalized metaphors (lamb fries for fried lamb's testicles) and drug slang (such as nose candy and stoned out of your gourd). His scholarship deserves respect for its objectivity and meticulous cross-referencing, which links po'boy with submarine sandwich and frappe with milk shake . Entries average 15 to 20 lines, each composed in readable, unfussy prose.Front matter clarifies and justifies the study of nonliteral terms based on cooking and food. Suggestions for using the dictionary are helpful, as are three pages of abbreviations and symbols used in the text and a two-page guide to comprehending entries. Proofreading is adequate but missed horse raddish . An index would have opened the text to language founts, providing access to phrases from Wordsworth, architecture, advertising, or railroad lore, to name a few possibilities.The surprise element of Palmatier's dictionary is the imbalance between the dull, pictureless presentation and the whopper price. Although it will likely enjoy a long shelf life, the cost of the book is about twice the value. Large public and academic libraries might consider adding the volume to their collections, but for the small public or school library struggling with budgets, the use of earlier phrase books or multiple Internet sources will suffice. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Recommended for high school, public, and academic libraries." -- Choice

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 488 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood (August 30, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313314365
• ISBN-13: 978-0313314360
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,440,217 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Food for Thought, June 24, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Food: A Dictionary of Literal and Nonliteral Terms (Hardcover)

As collector of dictionaries, and someone interested in histories of food I picked this book up, looked at the price and said, "How good is this?". At first glance it seemed general; the price more impressive, until I began to read each entry. I was swept up into the pages finding wonderful metaphors, quotes, proverbs, and idiomatic language. English slang of both the UK and USA. After reading it for 20 minutes I decided it was worth purchasing, much food for thought. Spices are thin hence my four stars instead of five. It is filled with interesting tidbits of history and is a wonderful resource.