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Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and FableBUY FROM AMAZON.COM
Price: $45.00
Usually ships in 24 hours  (3 customer reviews)Buy New: $45.00 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours EDITORIAL REVIEWWhat is a ham-and-egger? What are Anglo-Saxon attitudes? Who or what is liable to jump the shark? Who first tried to nail jelly to the wall? 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 meet, whether in classic literature or today's news. This authoritative dictionary draws on Oxford's unrivalled bank of reference and language online resources to cover 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. What is the fog of war? Who first wanted to spend more time with one's family? When was the Dreamtime? How long since the first cry of Women and children first? Where might you find dark matter? Would you want the Midas touch? Should you worry about grey goo? PRODUCT DETAILSPublisher: Oxford University Press, USAPub. Date: 17th November 2005 Catalog: Book Media: Hardcover Number Of Pages: 806 Ean: 9780198609810 Isbn: 0198609817 ABOUT THIS BOOKUSER REVIEWS
Oxford's Phrase and Fable is helpful to writers. Some of the phrases are familiar from my childhood; my mother was full of phrases and anecdotes. This book sprouts memories that are still alive.
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.
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. SIMILAR ITEMS:
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Oxford vs Brewer's
A Must-Have for Any Writer's Reference Library
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