Synopses & Reviews
What does "A rising tide lifts all the boats" mean? Where did the saying, "Garbage in, garbage out" come from? And when did "A watched pot never boils" first occur? The answers to these questions are among the many that can be found in the
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs, the only dictionary to record and describe the modern proverb.
This authoritative reference lists over 2,000 traditional sayings, weeding out ones that have fallen into disuse and including over 100 new proverbs--old sayings that have reappeared in recent times, and newly created ones--known in the twentieth century. Entries include illustrative quotations that show the context of a proverb's use, its history and origins (including Greek, Latin, and French antecedents), and an extensive cross-referencing system for easy access. The editors have added notes to clarify the meaning of a proverb or mention points of interest. They discuss, for example, the legal implications of "Every dog is allowed one bite," and pair contradictory proverbs such as "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" and "Out of sight, out of mind". New proverbs in this edition include "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," "Different strokes for different folks," and "Less is more," among many others.
An entertaining and informative guide to the sayings that have consistently added spice to the English language, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs is an indispensable source for all language lovers.
Praise for the First Edition:
"Scholarly, meticulous, and authoritative"--The Washington Post Book World. "A rich and absorbing collection....Simpson's introduction is succinct and helpful...[and his] system of cross-referencing is exemplary"--The Times Literary Supplement [London].
Review
Praise for the First Edition:
"Scholarly, meticulous, and authoritative"--The Washington Post Book World
"A rich and absorbing collection....Simpson's introduction {is succinct and helpful...[and his] system of cross-referencing is exemplary"--The Times Literary Supplement
For the Second Edition:
"The listing is aphabetical by key word, and the articles cite the various instances chronologically. Very well cross-referenced, and indexed topically." --Reference and Research Book News
Review
Praise for the First Edition:
"Scholarly, meticulous, and authoritative"--The Washington Post Book World
"A rich and absorbing collection....Simpson's introduction {is succinct and helpful...[and his] system of cross-referencing is exemplary"--The Times Literary Supplement
For the Second Edition:
"The listing is aphabetical by key word, and the articles cite the various instances chronologically. Very well cross-referenced, and indexed topically." --Reference and Research Book News
Synopsis
From Roman times to the computer age, proverbs have added spice to our language. This new edition of the
Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs contains over 1,000 of the best-known proverbs from around the world, including 100 new to this edition. For example, did you know that
A trouble shared is a trouble halved wasn't recorded before the twentieth century? Or that
A watched pot never boils first appears as late as 1848? With new proverbs from the computer world and economics, such as
Garbage in, garbage out and
There's no such thing as a free lunch, and popular show business phrases like
The best thing in life are free, from the 1927 song, this fascinating guide provides every major proverb in use in the twentieth century, old and new. Numerous illustrative quotations provide a documentary history of each proverb from its first recorded use in written English, and earlier related forms in other languages are also provided. Plus, a new thematic index allows the reader to find proverbs dealing with particular subjects and situations as diverse as
beauty and
bee keeping,
warfare and
weather.
Up-to-date and authoritative, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Proverbs is an invaluable resource for writers, students, phraseologists, and just plain word-lovers.
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.