- Market-leading reference work explaining the meanings of allusions in use in English today
- All entries revised and updated with the most recent allusions, from Gollum to Kofi Annan, for this new second edition
- Useful A-Z order has been adopted for the second edition, for extra ease of reference
- Broad depth of coverage includes allusions on eveything from Scrooge to Helen of Troy, the Cheshire Cat to Rambo
- Part of the market-leading Oxford Paperback Reference series
New to this edition
- All entries revised and updated for this new second edition
- New entries added on the most up-to-date and current allusions, such as Gollum, and Kofi Annan
- Dictionary text reordered from thematic sections to A-Z listing, for extra ease of reference and usability
Allusions form a colourful extension to the English language, drawing on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to give us a literary shorthand for describing people, places, and events. So a miser is a Scrooge, a strong man is a Samson or a Hercules, a beautiful woman is a Venus or a modern-day Helen of Troy - we can suffer like Sisyphus, fail like Canute, or linger like the smile of the Cheshire Cat.
This absorbing reference work explains the meanings of allusions in modern English, from Abaddon to Zorro, Tartarus to Tarzan, and Rubens to Rambo. Fascinating to browse through, the book is based on an extensive reading programme that has identified the most commonly-used allusions. Quotations are included in most entries to illustrate usage, from a range of authors and sources, from Thomas Hardy to Ben Elton, Charles Dickens to Bridget Jones's Diary.
For this new second edition the most up-to-date allusions from Gollum to Kofi Annan have been added, and a handy A-Z order has been adopted for extra ease of reference.
Reviews
- 'Review from previous edition Wonderfully conceived and extraordinarily useful' -Library Journal
- 'an attractive addition to a writer's shelf of Reference works' -US Universal Press syndication
- 'A brilliantly organized handbook of names, places and phrases...A highly readable text' -Choice
Contents
- Introduction
- A-Z Dictionary of Allusions
- All entries revised and updated with the most recent allusions, from Gollum to Kofi Annan, for this new second edition
- Useful A-Z order has been adopted for the second edition, for extra ease of reference
- Broad depth of coverage includes allusions on eveything from Scrooge to Helen of Troy, the Cheshire Cat to Rambo
- Part of the market-leading Oxford Paperback Reference series
New to this edition
- All entries revised and updated for this new second edition
- New entries added on the most up-to-date and current allusions, such as Gollum, and Kofi Annan
- Dictionary text reordered from thematic sections to A-Z listing, for extra ease of reference and usability
Allusions form a colourful extension to the English language, drawing on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to give us a literary shorthand for describing people, places, and events. So a miser is a Scrooge, a strong man is a Samson or a Hercules, a beautiful woman is a Venus or a modern-day Helen of Troy - we can suffer like Sisyphus, fail like Canute, or linger like the smile of the Cheshire Cat.
This absorbing reference work explains the meanings of allusions in modern English, from Abaddon to Zorro, Tartarus to Tarzan, and Rubens to Rambo. Fascinating to browse through, the book is based on an extensive reading programme that has identified the most commonly-used allusions. Quotations are included in most entries to illustrate usage, from a range of authors and sources, from Thomas Hardy to Ben Elton, Charles Dickens to Bridget Jones's Diary.
For this new second edition the most up-to-date allusions from Gollum to Kofi Annan have been added, and a handy A-Z order has been adopted for extra ease of reference.
Reviews
- 'Review from previous edition Wonderfully conceived and extraordinarily useful' -Library Journal
- 'an attractive addition to a writer's shelf of Reference works' -US Universal Press syndication
- 'A brilliantly organized handbook of names, places and phrases...A highly readable text' -Choice
Contents
- Introduction
- A-Z Dictionary of Allusions