Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

Product Information

George Savile, Marquis of Halifax: "Men are not hanged for stealing horses, but that horses may not be stolen." If you know an exact phrase from the quotation, enclose it in speech marks (e.g. “to thine own self be true”), and search in the same way. This will only find entries containing the exact phrase, so remember that a small error, such as searching for “to thy own self be true” will mean that the quotation is not found. occasions. Ranging from the profound, to cogent, to witty, these quotations will add spice to your writing and conversation. An ideal reference for any home or office library, The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is a perennial source of entertainment and inspiration for public speakers, writers, or Now updated and expanded, and containing over 17,000 quotations from 2,500 men and women from all walks of life, this revised edition of the foremost dictionary of quotations offers the ideal bon mot for every occasion.

Johnson certainly thought that Pope’s language was influential. His ‘Life’ of the poet declares that Pope Who said that?’ is the most frequently asked question relating to quotations; it is closely followed by the more general ‘What's been said about this?’ Oxford Reference provides the tools for answering both kinds of query, in a series of dictionaries compiled from our Quotation resources. Darwin may have been flattered by the terms of the appeal ('You are the man... It's a great book, and we want a great Introduction'), or touched by its frankness ('We really are in a hole'). Whatever his reason, he accepted, and provided the missing Introduction. The Dictionary was successfully published in 1941, with the first printing of 20,000 copies being exhausted a month after publication.Words from long ago may be quoted in a new context, as when Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, quoted the words of the fourteenth century mystic St Catherine of Siena at the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton: ‘Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire’. We’ve gathered a selection of famous lines said by Australians and New Zealanders to test your knowledge – do you know who said what? The most quoted Frenchman is Voltaire, and the most popular classical author is Horace. The most quoted scientist is undoubtedly Albert Einstein. Each illuminating entry contains in-depth details of the earliest traceable source, biographical cross-references, birth and death dates, and a career brief. With both a thematic and keyword index, scholars and readers thumbing through the book will easily be able to find quotations for all

In the first instance, we look at the new quotations in our database, and select those which are best-known, and those which represent new or unusual ideas. To qualify for inclusion in a dictionary, a saying must be being quoted. It does not matter whether it is being quoted approvingly or being disagreed with, what matters is that people think it worth repeating.In 1915 there was an initial suggestion for ‘an Oxford Dictionary of Poetry Quotations (not foreign quotations)’, to be based on ‘Oxford texts and the N.E.D. [now the Oxford English Dictionary]’. The idea was not immediately followed up, and it was not until the 1930s that the project got under way. An assessment in a letter of 1931 highlighted especially familiar quotations from foreign languages and ‘modern quotations that have not yet got into the books’. Consideration of the collection of material came with the warning that ‘Even in English we shall have to guard against things quotable, as apart from things commonly quoted.’ Some evidence pointing to answers to these questions is now appearing in the OED3 revision discussed below. This major new edition offers the broadest and most up-to-date coverage of quotations available today. Now with 20,000 quotations arranged by author, this is Oxford's largest quotations dictionary ever. Alongside superb coverage of quotations from traditional sources, the Dictionary now boasts improved coverage of world religions, classical Greek and Latin literature, proverbs, and nursery rhymes. In addition, for the first time there are special sections for Advertising Slogans, Epitaphs, Film Lines, and Misquotations, which bring together topical and related quotes. Moreover, the new Fifth Edition provides enhanced accessibility with a new thematic index to help you find the best quotes on a chosen subject, more in depth details of the earliest traceable source, an extensive keyword index, and biographical cross references, so you will easily be able to find quotations for all occasions, and identify who said what, where, and when. Now in this fifth edition, over 180 subjects have been updated with new quotations added from over 190 authors, including over 60 new authors ranging from Dan Brown to Tracey Emin, from Hokusai to Emil Zatopek. New subjects include Media and Spelling.

Alternatively, an idea may be around in a general way, but it may take the impetus of a speech by a well-known figure to crystallize it in the public consciousness, as American Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld did for the ‘known knowns…known unknowns…unknown unknowns’. It begins with a preface explaining the term quotation: [ citation needed] The dictionary has been compiled from extensive evidence of the quotations that are actually used [as direct quotations].... This book is not—like many quotations dictionaries—a subjective anthology of the editor's favourite quotations, but an objective selection of the quotations which are most widely known and used. Popularity and familiarity are the main criteria for inclusion, although no reader is likely to be familiar with all the quotations in this dictionary.... The quotations are drawn from novels, plays, poems, essays, speeches, films radio and television broadcasts, songs, advertisements, and even book titles. It is difficult to draw the line between quotations and similar sayings like proverbs, catch-phrases, and idioms. For example, some quotations (like “The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings”) become proverbial. These are usually included if they can be traced to a particular originator.... Catch-phrases are included if there is evidence that they are widely remembered or used. Editions [ edit ] We want to include the most popular quotations in a field, but we also want to represent a range of viewpoints. For example, to a selection of quotations on Education, we added Nelson Mandela’s positive ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world’ and Thoreau’s less enthusiastic view ‘What does education often do? It makes a straight-cut ditch of a free, meandering brook’. Secondly, the attribution of Pope’s authorship to the whole of the Odyssey is not entirely secure. Pope shared his translation of the Odyssey with two collaborators, Elijah Fenton and William Broome, who between them were responsible for half the books (Fenton taking I, IV, XIX and XX, and Broome II, VI, VIII, XI, XII, XVI, XVIII and XXIII). Pope translated the remaining twelve books and revised the whole: Johnson commented, ‘How the two associates performed their parts is well known to the readers of poetry, who have never been able to distinguish their books from those of Pope’. 5Gyles Brandreth is a writer, broadcaster, former MP and government whip, now best known as a reporter for The One Show on BBC1, a regular on Just A Minute, and the host of Wordaholics on BBC Radio 4. He has also featured on Have I Got News For You, QI, Countdown, This Is Your Life, and Desert Island Discs. A former Oxford scholar and President of the Oxford Union, a journalist and award-winning interviewer, a theatre producer, an actor and after-dinner speaker, he has been collecting quotations for more than fifty years. Author Q&A What is the one quotation that everyone—from students to everyday web users—should be familiar with? Why? Once we have identified a potential new quotation as worth pursuing, it has to be authenticated. We want to be sure that the wording is correct, that the supposed author really did say it, and that no-one else said it earlier.