The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9-12-- This new edition of the 1982 title contains over 1000 proverbs commonly used in 20th-century Britain, with 100 entries new to this edition. Arranged alphabetically by the first significant word, each one includes illustrative quotations, beginning with the earliest known use. Some entries include short explanatory notes or definitions of words as they were originally used. Cross references provide additional access as does the topical index, a new feature in this edition. The dictionary's value for American students may be limited by its scope, which requires that the proverb be used in modern Britain. American proverbs are included, however, when they have current British use, and, of course, a great many have crossed the Atlantic, if not in spoken American English then at least in literature classes. Inclusion of computer-related phrases that are not likely to be in older reference sources make this especially valuable. An effective tool for students and language lovers.
- Danita Nichols, New York Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

brilliantly arranged ... I recommend it without hesitation to all students of the English language and lovers of literature, as well as to pedants, crossword fanatics and those who like to prove people wrong in argument. Auberon Waugh, Sunday Telegraph --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Concise edition (February 24, 1983)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198661312
• ISBN-13: 978-0198661313
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,002,851 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Let Down, August 31, 2000

By	"jlenarf" (Brazil) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperbacks) (Paperback)

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, although very well organized and with so many useful entries, fails to explain the meanings of practically most of the proverbs. But if you're really good at guessing meanings by reading examples given (there are plenty of them), you should have no difficulty at all. Not for me.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Over 1000 Major Proverbs with illustrative quotations., June 27, 2001

By	tepi "tepi" - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference) (Paperback)

THE CONCISE OXFORD DICTIONARY OF PROVERBS. Edited by John Simpson. with the assistance of Jennifer Speake. Second Edition. 316 pp. Oxford & New York : 1992. ISBN 0-19-866177-0 (hbk.)

Although we may think of the proverb as a thing of the past, and tend to associate it with what we naively suppose were 'simpler' rustic folks, the editors assure us that this is far from the case. New proverbs are continually being created, and the modern computer industry, economics; aeronautics, and even show business have all enriched language with their own contributions : 'Garbage in, garbage out;' 'There's no such thing as a free lunch;' 'If anything can go wrong, it will;' 'The best things in life are free;' etc.

The present book is a collection of over 1000, and every major proverb in use today is included, with explanations of its meanings and use _whenever they are obscure_. What this last means, of course, is that the editors felt no need to explain the meaning of a proverb when the meaning ought to be perfectly obvious to the native speaker of English.

Instead of this, what we have been given are numerous illustrative quotations, all precisely referenced and dated, which show how the proverb has been used down through the ages. Actual quotations are given from a wide range of sources, and dating from as early as the thirteenth century through to today.

To some, and especially to readers of pre-modern literature, these quotations will seem a far more valuable use of space than a mere restatement of the meaning of a proverb in modern prose. Each proverb is followed by six or seven of these illustrative examples which give full contexts and can be fascinating to browse through.

Another important feature of the book is its new thematic index which allows the reader to quickly find quotations on a wide range of subjects : idleness, bee-keeping, stupidity, stress, disappointment, etc.

The book is extremely well-printed in double columns on excellent paper, but is neither stitched nor cloth-covered as it deserves, having instead a glued spine and paper-covered boards, such being the price, I guess, of progress.

All in all, this is an excellent book, but don't go to it expecting it to tell you what your own native intelligence should be able to figure out for itself. It has set itself a higher and far more interesting and useful goal, and seems to me to have succeeded admirably.

1.0 out of 5 stars Bad item; Good service, June 28, 2009

By	B. Schreft - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book came in very bad condition. Literally fell apart in my hands. Seller was most concerned and offered full credit.