Overview
As Emerson once said, "By necessity, by proclivity--and by delight, we all quote." In this new edition of the The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, you can find (and verify) classic quotes and little known gems--the words of the famous and the notorious, the witty and the wise--in a collection of over 9,000 quotations from more than 2,000 authors. From Homer, Shakespeare, and the Bible to the sound-bites of today's politicians and pop stars, this indispensable guide is unceasingly entertaining for the general reader and a highly practical reference for study or speech-writing. Perhaps the most useful feature of this dictionary is a keyword index, for tracing half-remembered quotations to their authors, or finding quotations on a particular subject.An ideal reference for any home or office library, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations will be a constant source of entertainment and inspiration for public speakers, writers, or anyone else who enjoys a sparkling line or a spirited reply.
Synopsis
Containing some 9,000 quotations of 2,500 individuals, this dictionary lists famous and not-so-famous utterances and lines alphabetically by author, along with brief textual citations. The quotes range from classical to contemporary and from whimsy to gravitas. As one would expect from an Oxford dictionary, the material favors British quotes, but not overly so. A comprehensive index allows readers to locate quotations by keyword. Several thematic lists of quotations are also appended Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR
Library Journal
Based on the fifth edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, published in 1999 and also edited by Knowles, this shortened version of that classic (and an update of the third edition, which came out in 1997) reflects its richness and range even though it contains half the number of quotations found in the original. What's more, it extends the coverage to new categories, such as advertising slogans, film lines, political sayings and slogans, cartoon captions, and misquotations. These include, for example, Hillary Rodham Clinton's "I am not standing by my man, like Tammy Wynette" and Woody Allen's "I recently turned 60. Practically a third of my life is over." Entries are arranged alphabetically by authors (totaling 2500), who come from all historical time periods, and within these entries quotations (totaling 9000) are arranged by literary genre (e.g., plays, poems, novels); in the case of a voluminous author like Shakespeare, quotations are arranged by titles of his works. Significant words from each quotation appear in the excellent keyword index, allowing quotations or parts of them to be easily traced. Appendixes separately list catchphrases, film taglines, last words, newspaper headlines, political slogans, and misquotations. This little paperback is a very potent, portable, and quick reference that proves superior to similar sources (e.g., Collins Quotation Finder, 2002) because of its diversity, powerful index, consistent design, and reasonable price. Recommended for libraries of all types and sizes, whether or not they own previous editions of this reference or its more expensive and extensive parent version.-Paul D'Alessandro, Portland P.L., ME Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.