The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions - Hardcover

Delahunty, Andrew; Dignan, Sheila; Stock, Penny

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198600313 ISBN 13: 9780198600312

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001

Synopsis

Allusions give us a marvelous literary shorthand, drawing on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to help us describe people, places, feelings, and events. A miser is a Scrooge, a strong man is a Samson or a Hercules, a beautiful woman is a Venus or a modern-day Helen of Troy. We can suffer like Sisyphus or linger like the smile of the Cheshire Cat.
Ranging from classical mythology to modern movies and TV shows, this new reference work explains the meanings of the allusions in use in modern English, from Abaddon to Zorro, Tartarus to Tarzan, and Rubens to Rambo. Based on an extensive reading program that has identified the most commonly used allusions, this fascinating volume includes numerous quotations to illustrate usage, from a range of authors and sources, from Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens to Bridget Jones's Diary. Moreover, the dictionary is thematically structured, so that readers not only can look up Medea to find out who she was and how her name is used as an allusion, but also can look up the theme of "Revenge" and find, alongside Medea, entries for other figures used to allude to revenge, such as The Furies or The Count of Monte Cristo.

About this title

About the Author

Andrew Delahunty, Sheila Dignan, and Penelope Stock are all freelance lexicographers who have extensive experience compiling dictionaries.

Reviews

Adult/High School-This volume arranges literary, mythological, biblical, and popular references by theme. A line or two introduces each subject noting common associations, and/or scope of the entries that follow. "Nonconformity" includes brief entries on Bohemia, Holden Caulfield, James Dean, Galileo, and other characters and individuals. Many of these entries are accompanied by an excerpt illustrating its use in a work of literature (with author, title, and date). "Abundance and Plenty," "Change," "Destiny and Luck," "Freedom," and "Time" are just a few of the broad topics examined. There are also some in-depth discussions of allusions to Don Quixote, Odysseus, Achilles, the Trojan War, Moses, and other characters, events, and concepts. One of these covers David, describing the Old Testament hero's battle with Goliath, his relationship with Bathsheba, and the rebellion of Absalom, while cross-references will lead readers to other related entries. A list of the topics examined is given in the front of the book. Students will find using this resource similar to working with a thesaurus and will appreciate the simplicity of the dual index containing both themes and references. Purchase as an aid to creative writing and literary analysis.

Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Wonderfully conceived and extraordinarily useful, this new literary dictionary has been created by a team of freelance lexicographers who have compiled many dictionaries, and their experience shows. The contents have been drawn from a wide-ranging reading program designed to identify the allusions encountered most frequently in literature both modern and canonical. Thus, it covers classical myths and modern culture and ranges from "Ahab" to "Teflon," "Eve" to "Darth Vader." The dictionary is alphabetical but can be searched both by the word used as an allusion and by the theme represented. The dictionary is particularly well laid out, with the major theme of the allusion captioned and explained, followed by the words representing that allusion. Many entries include a quotation illustrating the allusion in use. For allusions based on names, the editors have added explanatory sections describing who these figures were and why they and/or their stories represent various themes. What results is a supremely useful dictionary that is highly recommend for all libraries. Neal Wyatt, Chesterfield P.L., VA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198600313
• ISBN 13: 9780198600312
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 453