The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198602197 ISBN 13: 9780198602194

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2001

Synopsis

Here is a wealth of background information on common phrases and allusions, encompassing everything from "rebel without a cause" and "Marlboro Man" to "The Twelve Labors of Hercules."
Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled bank of language and quotation on-line resources, this highly browsable potpourri of allusive terms includes entries from a broad range of topics, including classical mythology, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture. Unlike the major competing volume, the Dictionary contains more entries, with a wider range of reference and more lucid explanations. Indeed, the 20,000 entries are rich with information, going beyond a simple identification to include colorful details, such as word origins and illustrative quotations. We learn, for instance, not only that "The Land of the Rising Sun" refers to Japan, but also that the phrase is a translation of Japanese Nippon (nichi "the sun" and pon "the source"). We also learn that "Leatherneck" refers to the leather lining inside the collar of a marine's uniform. There are special boxes for topics such as Days of the Week and Last Words (from Goethe's "More light" to Robert E. Lee's "Strike the tent"). The volume also features thousands of brief biographies, both real and fictional, from Old Mother Hubbard to Gypsy Rose Lee, and a thematic index for easy use. And there are numerous cross-references throughout the book.
From "Barbie Doll" to "the Big Bang Theory," "Every Dog has His Day," and "Seven-League Boots," The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable is a kaleidoscopic reference work on the thousands of colorful words and phrases we use every day.

About this title

About the Author

Elizabeth Knowles is Managing Editor of the Oxford Ruotations Dictionaries. She is also the editor of The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and The Oxford Dictionary of New Words, among other works.

Reviews

Fables and commonplace phrases originate from the need to articulate concepts and circumstances that defy conventional phraseology. Evolving from both written and spoken sources (though more commonly from the latter), they bring together words, names, and expressions that have cultural resonance. These volumes provide ample documentation of such terms in the English language, citing both origin and common usage. Beyond simple definitions, the works also include quotations from classical and modern literature. Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable, first issued in 1870, has flourished for over 100 years and has been updated frequently. (See LJ 7/00 for a review of the 16th edition.) The current work, ably edited by prolific lexicographer Room, who also worked on the 16th edition, borrows the style and approach of the original dictionary but focuses on material from the late 20th to the 21st centuries. Arranged alphabetically, this approachable work contains more than 8000 entries. Vastly more comprehensive, The Oxford Dictionary references some 20,000 citations. Knowles, managing editor of the Oxford quotations dictionaries, draws upon Oxford's unrivaled bank of language lore and literary tradition to span a vast array of topics, including classical mythology, religion, folk custom, history, science, and technology. The entries, whether brief citations or longer discussions boasting colorful details and lucid text, are distinguished by unparalleled research. Illustrative quotations and thousands of biographies are also included. Both of these volumes are vital reference tools required by all meaningful reference collections. Richard K. Burns, MSLS, Hatboro, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

For more than a century, the title "dictionary of phrase and fable" has been synonymous with the name "Brewer's." With the publication of this volume, Oxford introduces the first real competition to Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, which appeared in a sixteenth edition in 2000 [RBB O 15 00]. In her introduction to The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, Knowles, managing editor of Oxford Quotation Dictionaries, unabashedly acknowledges her work's indebtedness to the compilations begun by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer in 1870 but notes that the approximately 20,000 entries in Oxford's version have been drawn from Oxford's vast dictionary databases, quotations files, and other resources. According to Knowles, the words, names, and phrases featured in this dictionary "justify inclusion by having some figurative or allusive connotation, or by being central to the development of a civilization or culture."

Drawn from folklore, history, mythology, philosophy, popular culture, religion, science, and technology, the alphabetically arranged entries include ancient gods and goddesses, biblical allusions, proverbial sayings, common phrases, fictional characters, geographical entities, and real people and events. A significant number of entries pertain to contemporary culture; for example, Generation X, Harry Potter, the People's Princess, rainbow coalition, and shock jock. Illustrative quotations and etymological details accompany many of the entries. The volume also features 50 boxed entries for special categories like "Last Words," "Muses," and "Plagues of Egypt." A generous network of cross-references facilitates use. In addition to an index to the boxed entries, the dictionary also provides lists of the entries that are reprinted from the Oxford Companion to American Literature and the Oxford Companion to English Literature.

Unfortunately, this work's sweeping scope results in a rather amorphous, if fascinatingly eclectic, compilation. The inclusion of a large number of fairly common words (e.g., degree, music, tobacco) seems unnecessary, and the rationale behind many of the biographical entries (e.g., for Doris Day, Stephen Jay Gould, John Soane) is not clear. Greater concentration on the "phrase and fable" aspects of the dictionary would have been preferable. For instance, numerous entries for proverbs simply identify the phrase as a proverbial saying and note the time period when it was first introduced without providing any further explanation or amplification. Many readers will probably need more assistance with sayings such as a creaking door hangs longest and dreams go by contraries.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable includes about 1,500 more entries than the sixteenth edition of Brewer's, which contains 18,500 entries. However, Brewer's makes such extensive use of subentries that the numbers are misleading. A side-by-side comparison of Oxford and Brewer's reveals that although there is considerable overlap between the two, each has a wide variety of unique entries. For example, only Brewer's includes back burner, fight tooth and nail, Gulliver, never say die, and pull out all the stops, while only Oxford has entries for Archie Bunker, Babi Yar, Beanie baby, close but no cigar, and snail mail. In contrast to Oxford, Brewer's always provides explanations for proverbs, and in many other instances, Brewer's entries are fuller. Whereas the Oxford entry for horses lists 20 famous steeds and their riders, Brewer's entry identifies more than three times that number, and although both dictionaries explain the expression the full monty, only Brewer's mentions the film by that title.

Libraries on tight budgets that already have a recent edition of Brewer's will probably find that it is sufficient for their needs. However, libraries that can afford both dictionaries will welcome the rich diversity, scholarly authority, and additional information offered by The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198602197
• ISBN 13: 9780198602194
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 1232
• Editor: Knowles Elizabeth