Toasts: Over 1,500 Of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces [Hardcover]

Paul Dickson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 1991

For anyone who will ever face a sea of expectantly raised glasses, or anyone who is fascinated by words and word-play, this rich compendium of toasts for every occasion will prove as entertaining as it is useful.

The best toasts ever proclaimed (and a few of the worst), funny and sentimental toasts, cynical and heartfelt toasts, old-fashioned and contemporary toasts, justly famous and unjustly forgotten toasts ... they're all here in the latest compilation of verbal fun from wordsmith extraordinaire Paul Dickson. Impossible to put down when browsing and easy to use when looking something up, it's one of those books that will never gather dust on the shelf.

Weddings, graduations, anniversaries, births (and birthdays), family reunions, business dinners, and other occasions are all included, along with tips for the toastmaster, ways to says "Cheers!" in fifty languages from Albanian to Zulu, and other toasting topics.

Salud!

I drink to your health when I'm with you,

I drink to your health when I'm alone,

I drink to your health so often

I'm beginning to worry about my own.

Here's to good-byes -- that they never be spoken!

Here's to friendships -- may they never be broken!

Drink to the girls and drink to their mothers,

Drink to their fathers and to their brothers;

Toast their dear healths as long as you're able,

And dream of their charms while you're under the table.

Early to rise and early to bed makes a male healthy and wealthy and dead.

-- James Thurber

I used to know a clever toast,

But pshaw! I cannot think it --

So fill your glass to anything

And, bless your souls, I'll drink it.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is a book that will be helpful to anyone who ever expects to be called on to give a toast. It begins with a brief introductory history of toasts and toasting, pointing out that the custom of drinking to the health and prosperity of another is an ancient one. The book is arranged by broad topics from age ("May you enter Heaven late") to weddings ("May you grow old on one pillow") to friendship ("Here's to a friend. He knows you well and likes you just the same."). Some of the quotes are from literature or famous people, but there are many old anonymous ones, too. Sections on effective toasting, odd customs, and the like are also included. Libraries needing to expand their quotations collections might want to buy this volume.
- Rebecca Wondriska, Trinity Coll. Lib., Hartford, Ct.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Helpful to anyone who ever expects to be called on to give a toast."—Library Journal

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Crown; Rev Sub edition (November 5, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517584123
• ISBN-13: 978-0517584125
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,027,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Dickson is the author of more than 45 nonfiction books and hundreds of magazine articles. Although he has written on a variety of subjects from ice cream to kite flying to electronic warfare, he now concentrates on writing about the American language, baseball and 20th century history. His most recent titles include Drunk: The Definitive Drinker's Dictionary, The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, Sputnik: The Shock of the Century and Slang: A Topical Dictionary of Americanisms.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful, entertaining and complete with just enough history., February 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Toasts: Over 1,500 Of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces (Hardcover)

I bartended (part time) for years and heard a lot of toasts, but no one could explain the origin of toasting. A customer bought me this book and all my questions were answered.

The text is simple and easy to follow. If you are looking for a toast for a particular situation, just go to the category index in the front pages and thumb your way through.

You will laugh, you will learn, you may even get a little grossed out. But all in all, if you love history and you entertain or like to be the life of the party, this is a great buy. I recommend it highly.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Carpe glass (Sieze the glass!), November 30, 1999

By 

Wilbur G.F.H. - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toasts: Over 1,500 Of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces (Hardcover)

Like a real pro, Paul Dickson has produced, actually concocted, a rich compendium of examples and answers to any query and questions about toasting and hosting. Getting a copy even helped me articulate my sincere attestations when I entertain a few close friends and acquaintances in my modest home; though frequently with coffee or irish cream or shandy, seldom with wine.

Dickson does not preach, he guides and suggests. As your reading progresses, you easily learn, comprehend and take heart what is appropriate if perfect, and then sense what to avoid or perceive what is uncalled for when giving someone or something a toast.

This book is not only amusing. It's a deliciously entertaining and concrete fount of infos and references for fledgling hosts and party impresarios. I read my copy cover to cover and felt like popping the champagne and making the wine glasses clink! For Amazon --- I've changed my e-mail address from wsimple@yahoo to w_waif@yahoo

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "One sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits . . .", February 20, 2001

By 

Sir Charles Panther "Life is hard. It's hard... (Alexandria, Virginny, USandA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Toasts: Over 1,500 Of the Best Toasts, Sentiments, Blessings, and Graces (Hardcover)

This is a fantastic resource, the best single source on toasting which I have ever come across. The introduction and "Brief History of Raised Glasses" provides a brief, gentle, and highly useful education so that you can oh so suavely back up immediately any question or challenge to the quote you've chosen from this cornucopia of highly organized toasts for just about any occasion imaginable.

The illustrations are superfluous, but the footnotes are very, very useful. At first glance a bit pedantic, they allow the user of the toast to speak (and understand) the traditional language, such as "stook," "murphies," and "banns." The different subject areas, plainly intuitive, and listed alphabetically in the table of contents include such further instructive chapters as "Hints for Effective Toasting," "Odd Customs," a "Selected Toast and Tipple Glossary," and "Skoaling." The different subject areas are also modestly cross-referenced to each other, such as the entry "see also 'friendship;' 'general;' 'guests'" concluding the "Hosts and Hostesses" section. There is also a useful bibliography.

What is missing and would have completed the book would be an index. This is my only complaint with this superb, and in my case oft-used little reference.