Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable Book

Oxford University Press is known for thinking in long time spans (the first edition of the OED took 50 years). Even so, the genesis of The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable seems rather leisurely: the idea was first mooted in 1927, the book finally published in the year 2000. Perhaps this was partly because the famous Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, around since 1870, had something of a grip on that part of the market. Oxford's answer to Brewer's has taken care to be a bit bigger than its rival--it boasts 20,000 entries, rather than Brewer's 18,500. Like its rival it deals with an extraordinary hot-potch of phrases, expressions and allusions that you might struggle to find in an ordinary dictionary; as the editor puts it, "words, names and phrases with cultural resonance: items from history and religion, mythology, biography, folk customs and superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture." The last of these includes such late 90s favourites as "Blair Babes" and "Frankenfood"--"a derogatory term for food derived from genetically modified produce, a shortening of Frankenstein food; the word is recorded from 1992 ..." explains our text, in its rather formal style, going on to give an example of early usage. A somewhat strait-laced guide it may be, but it can tell you about almost anything. Philosophers, scientists and kings, places and buildings you might find mentioned in literary works, imaginary beasts and famous sayings--they are here in vast numbers. The little Latin phrases that baffle those without a classical education? This book will introduce you to obscurities such as ductus litterarum or aquila non captat muscas, although it doesn't stoop to entries for such relatively common terms as a priori and a posteriori. Where it can't give you a definitive answer, it presents several options--two possible origins for the phrase "send to Coventry", for example, or three for "raining cats and dogs." It's a wonderful ramble through many different worlds of words, and for anyone who loves the English language and its literature, a stroll through this dictionary will necessarily be punctuated by endless curious halts as yet another mystery is explained. --David PickeringRead More