Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (Oxford Paperback Reference) [Mass Market Paperback]

Elizabeth Knowles (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 23, 2006 | ISBN-10: 019920246X | ISBN-13: 978-0199202461 | Edition: 2

Who or what is liable to jump the shark? Who first tried to nail jelly to the wall? Who was the first to cry "Women and children first"? The answers to these and many more questions are in this fascinating book. Here in one volume you can track down the stories behind the names and sayings you come across, whether in classic literature or today's news. Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled bank of reference and language online resources, this dictionary covers classical and other mythologies, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture. Extensive cross-referencing makes it easy to trace specific information, while every page points to further paths to explore. From "Barbie doll" to "bunny boiler," the dictionary gives reliable, up-to-date insights into the origin and history of words and phrases. It is a fascinating slice of cultural history and a browser's delight from start to finish.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Fables and commonplace phrases originate from the need to articulate concepts and circumstances that defy conventional phraseology. Evolving from both written and spoken sources (though more commonly from the latter), they bring together words, names, and expressions that have cultural resonance. These volumes provide ample documentation of such terms in the English language, citing both origin and common usage. Beyond simple definitions, the works also include quotations from classical and modern literature. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, first issued in 1870, has flourished for over 100 years and has been updated frequently. (See LJ 7/00 for a review of the 16th edition.) The current work, ably edited by prolific lexicographer Room, who also worked on the 16th edition, borrows the style and approach of the original dictionary but focuses on material from the late 20th to the 21st centuries. Arranged alphabetically, this approachable work contains more than 8000 entries. Vastly more comprehensive, The Oxford Dictionary references some 20,000 citations. Knowles, managing editor of the Oxford quotations dictionaries, draws upon Oxford's unrivaled bank of language lore and literary tradition to span a vast array of topics, including classical mythology, religion, folk custom, history, science, and technology. The entries, whether brief citations or longer discussions boasting colorful details and lucid text, are distinguished by unparalleled research. Illustrative quotations and thousands of biographies are also included. Both of these volumes are vital reference tools required by all meaningful reference collections. Richard K. Burns, MSLS, Hatboro, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

For more than a century, the title "dictionary of phrase and fable" has been synonymous with the name "Brewer's." With the publication of this volume, Oxford introduces the first real competition to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, which appeared in a sixteenth edition in 2000 [RBB O 15 00]. In her introduction to The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Knowles, managing editor of Oxford Quotation Dictionaries, unabashedly acknowledges her work's indebtedness to the compilations begun by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer in 1870 but notes that the approximately 20,000 entries in Oxford's version have been drawn from Oxford's vast dictionary databases, quotations files, and other resources. According to Knowles, the words, names, and phrases featured in this dictionary "justify inclusion by having some figurative or allusive connotation, or by being central to the development of a civilization or culture."

Drawn from folklore, history, mythology, philosophy, popular culture, religion, science, and technology, the alphabetically arranged entries include ancient gods and goddesses, biblical allusions, proverbial sayings, common phrases, fictional characters, geographical entities, and real people and events. A significant number of entries pertain to contemporary culture; for example, Generation X, Harry Potter, the People's Princess, rainbow coalition, and shock jock. Illustrative quotations and etymological details accompany many of the entries. The volume also features 50 boxed entries for special categories like "Last Words," "Muses," and "Plagues of Egypt." A generous network of cross-references facilitates use. In addition to an index to the boxed entries, the dictionary also provides lists of the entries that are reprinted from the Oxford Companion to American Literature and the Oxford Companion to English Literature.

Unfortunately, this work's sweeping scope results in a rather amorphous, if fascinatingly eclectic, compilation. The inclusion of a large number of fairly common words (e.g., degree, music, tobacco) seems unnecessary, and the rationale behind many of the biographical entries (e.g., for Doris Day, Stephen Jay Gould, John Soane) is not clear. Greater concentration on the "phrase and fable" aspects of the dictionary would have been preferable. For instance, numerous entries for proverbs simply identify the phrase as a proverbial saying and note the time period when it was first introduced without providing any further explanation or amplification. Many readers will probably need more assistance with sayings such as a creaking door hangs longest and dreams go by contraries.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable includes about 1,500 more entries than the sixteenth edition of Brewer's, which contains 18,500 entries. However, Brewer's makes such extensive use of subentries that the numbers are misleading. A side-by-side comparison of Oxford and Brewer's reveals that although there is considerable overlap between the two, each has a wide variety of unique entries. For example, only Brewer's includes back burner, fight tooth and nail, Gulliver, never say die, and pull out all the stops, while only Oxford has entries for Archie Bunker, Babi Yar, Beanie baby, close but no cigar, and snail mail. In contrast to Oxford, Brewer's always provides explanations for proverbs, and in many other instances, Brewer's entries are fuller. Whereas the Oxford entry for horses lists 20 famous steeds and their riders, Brewer's entry identifies more than three times that number, and although both dictionaries explain the expression the full monty, only Brewer's mentions the film by that title.

Libraries on tight budgets that already have a recent edition of Brewer's will probably find that it is sufficient for their needs. However, libraries that can afford both dictionaries will welcome the rich diversity, scholarly authority, and additional information offered by The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 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

• Mass Market Paperback: 816 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; 2 edition (October 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 019920246X
• ISBN-13: 978-0199202461
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,995,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for Any Writer's Reference Library, December 26, 2000

By 

Richard Argo (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (Hardcover)

This volume contains a useful variety of words, phrases, and biography information that you won't find in any other dictionary. While reading newspapers, magazines, and other current media, I often encounter cultural references, phrases, proverbial sayings, and more, that aren't listed in any dictionary that defines single words.

For example, The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable contains entries for a wide variety of subjects such as John Lennon, Pop goes the weasel, and "It's the economy, stupid." Great stuff!

At well over a thousand pages, this volume has all the heft of any good dictionary.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Oxford vs Brewer's, May 22, 2001

By 

sassy "sassy" (brooklyn, ny USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (Hardcover)

I purchased this title because my Brewer's has gotten lost. I thought I'd replace it with a similar title that would be just as much fun to get lost in. The Oxford is just as seductive. In time I will get used to its odd indexing (the article's subject may not be the first printed word in the phrase so that the eye is often confused about just where in the alphabet one happens to be). However the first time I actually looked up something I was disapppointed: Beer and skittles> Life is not beer and skittles> 19th century proverbial saying> Yes, but what exactly is a skittle? And what does the saying mean? I think I will purchase another Brewer's. I don't know that it will do any better with this query but I believe the Oxford does not completely replace it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Caution: Fascinating Information Inside!, July 29, 2010

By 

SingleEyePhotos - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (Hardcover)

This is really just a modernized version of 'Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable', and like Brewer's (which I also own) it is an absolute treasure-trove of (basically) useless information that will delight anyone with a love of words or phrase, and a good background in literature and history. This is truly a dictionary - words and phrases are alphabetized, and followed by a paragraph (or a few paragraphs) of explanation, discussion, and information.