The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Quick Reference) - Softcover

Simpson, J. A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192818805 ISBN 13: 9780192818805

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1985

Synopsis

From Roman times to the computer age, proverbs have added spice to our language. In The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, an abridgement of The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Proverbs, over 1,000 of these popular phrases are listed by main word, with a documentary history of each from its first recorded use, numerous illustrative quotations, and details of earlier related forms in other languages. The only dictionary to record and describe the modern proverb throughout the English-speaking world, this book focuses on proverbs known in the twentieth-century and thus provides a valuable resource for modern word-lovers and phraseologists.

About this title

About the Author

About the Editors:
John Simpson is Co-Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. Jennifer Speake is editor of many reference works, including A Dictionary of the Renaissance.

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.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1985
• ISBN 10: 0192818805
• ISBN 13: 9780192818805
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 272