Synopses & Reviews
Ever since the first edition of the
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations published over 70 years ago, this bestselling book has remained unrivalled in its coverage of quotations both past and present. The eighth edition is a vast treasury of wit and wisdom spanning the centuries and providing the ultimate answer to the question, 'Who said that?' Find that only half-remembered line in a collection of over 20,000 quotations, comprehensively indexed for ready reference. The
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations provides a quote for every occasion that spans the greatest minds of history to the people who gave us one-liners.
Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled dictionary research program and unique language monitoring, over 700 new quotations have been added to this eighth edition from authors ranging from St Joan of Arc and Coco Chanel to Albrecht Durer and Thomas Jefferson. New sayings that span the ages include "It would not be better if things happened to men just as they wish" (the classical writer Heraclitus), "My father used to say: "Don't raise your voice, improve your argument'"' (Desmond Tutu), and "The future is already here--it's just not evenly distributed" (the writer William Gibson).
Two hundred authors make their debut in this edition, with a brand-new companion website that links to dozens of spoken quotations by the authors themselves.
About the Author
Elizabeth Knowles is a historical lexicographer who worked on the 4th edition of the
Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (1993) and was Editor of the 5th, 6th, and 7th editions of the
Oxford Dictionary of Quotations (1999, 2004, 2009). Her other editorial credits include the
Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations (3rd edition, 2007),
What They Didn't Say: A Book of Misquotations (2006), and the
Little Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs (2009). She is a contributor to
The History of Oxford University Press (2013).
Table of Contents
Introduction to the eighth edition
History of the Dictionary
Introduction to the first edition
How to use this work
Quotations
Index