A guide to references commonly used in speech and writing. Explains more than 900 allusions. Entries include examples from todays leading media. A must for serious readers, language lovers, and ESL students.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
New Yorker founding editor Harold Ross, according to this book's preface, is said to have asked writer James Thurber once, with bewilderment, "Is Moby Dick the man or the whale?" Well, even Homer nods (Horace). But, Harold! Thou shouldst be living at this hour (Wordsworth). Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions is a Big Rock Candy Mountain (American folk song) for anyone who feels amid the alien corn (Keats) when it comes to understanding allusions everyone else seems to grok (Heinlein). Thanks to the blood, sweat, and tears (Churchill) of authors Elizabeth Webber and Mike Feinsilber--compiling this allusional Rosetta stone must have taken a Herculean, nay Brobdingnagian (Swift) effort--we can come in from the cold (popularized by le Carré) of the dark night of the soul (St. John of the Cross) and dine out on (G. Gordon Liddy and others) these allusions for years to come. --Jane Steinberg
From Booklist
What are the meanings and origins of the phrases bad day at Black Rock, feeding frenzy, let a hundred flowers bloom, and trouble in River City? Using allusions in everyday conversation and writing is standard practice today. This small reference tool, compiled by a freelance writer and a journalist, will help users discover hidden or new meanings, increase knowledge beyond simple definitions, master the correct usage from experts, and learn today's new allusions. More than 900 entries are listed alphabetically. Each includes a short definition and a longer history of the word or phrase; some also include pronunciation. Length varies from five to six sentences to a page or more (e.g., beam me up, Scotty; Elysian Fields; McCarthyism; reign of terror), and all include one or more examples of the term in use, complete with date, author (when available), and print or media sources. For example, the entry for Second Coming includes "in Maclean's, January 15, 1988, on Apple Computer cofounder Steven Jobs: Clearly it is too soon to rule out a second coming for Steven Jobs." Almost all of the usage examples are from the late 1980s and 1990s.
A number of these phrases will be found in other sources, including Dictionary of Historical Allusions and Eponyms [RBB N 1 98] and The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins [RBB D 1 97]. The first has 550 words and phrases taken from historical, not literary examples; the second covers 15,000 words and phrases. Both are indexed. The readable Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions supplements these and other similar dictionaries and is a worthwhile investment for reference collections, especially considering the price. Readers, language lovers, ESL students, and English majors will want personal copies.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
43 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining and Enlightening,
By
This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions (Paperback)
From "Abelard and Heloise" to "Zuzu's Petals", this book provides the history, meaning, and context for many of the creative and colorful allusions that enrich fine writing. For every entry I knew, I found at least a dozen that I either was misinterpreting or just glossed over in my reading. A great book for the reference shelf, bedside or to leave in the bathroom!
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lots of Content,
By Bert Wiefels (Banning, CA United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions (Paperback)
The Merriam-Webster's dictionary of allusion has far more information than the Oxford Dictionary of Allusion. In addition, the allusions are more contempory than the Oxford. Over a week's time I read the dictionary from cover to cover. I came away with a week's entertainment, a better understanding of some phrases, and understanding of some phrases I had totally misunderstood for years. A fine book, I wish I had bought a hard cover edition.
16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
When was learning ever this much fun?,
By Marshall Gordon (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions (Paperback)
Open Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Allusions to any page and you're bound to learn a thing or two..or three...or more. You'll also smile at the journey that brought you to new insights. The authors have done a masterful job of illuminating the language with scholarship and wit. So much brighter, lighter, enlightening and fun than most reference books--but no less useful.
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