A Dictionary of Flowers and Gems (Say What You Mean—Even Say It Mean—the Victorian Way)

Do you know what you're saying when you give the gift of flowers or plants? What's the difference between a red rose & a white one? Why shouldn't you give your spouse a yellow carnation or a pumpkin flower? The answers to these questions lie in the traditional meaning of plants. Even fruits & vegetables have meanings - potato for beneficence, raspberry for apology - & all of them are historically documented in this book. You'll learn how to be cold & cruel or warm & caring just by choosing different plants for a bouquet. Ms. Gips has spent twenty years researching the historical meaning associated with plants. This updated, expanded version of her previous book contains authentic meanings for more than 700 plants, including 40 rose forms. Anyone - lay or professional - who designs theme gardens, floral arrangements, wreaths or any kind of herbal or floral gift will find this one-of-a-kind book an indispensable reference. Authentic Victorian illustrations with color plates of tussie mussies. Dictionary format, includes index. Order from: Village Herb Shop, 26 South Main St., Chagrin Falls, OH 44022. 800-836-9120. Trade discount.

The rapid growth of gemological sciences and mineralogy demands a dictionary such as this for gemologists, mineralogists, geologists, jewel dealers, industry and hobbyists. With some 16,000 comprehensive definitions, supplemented by more than 250 diagrams and figures, this is a one-stop reference to any matter dealing with gems and gemology.

This invaluable interpretive tool, first published in 1937, is now available for the first time in a paperback edition specially aimed at students of Chinese Buddhism. Those who have endeavoured to read Chinese texts apart from the apprehension of a Sanskrit background have generally made a fallacious interpretation, for the Buddhist canon is basically translation, or analogous to translation. In consequence, a large number of terms existing are employed approximately to connote imported ideas, as the various Chinese translators understood those ideas. Various translators invented different terms; and, even when the same term was finally adopted, its connotation varied, sometimes widely, from the Chinese term of phrase as normally used by the Chinese. For instance, klésa undoubtedly has a meaning in Sanskrit similar to that of, i.e. affliction, distress, trouble. In Buddhism affliction (or, as it may be understood from Chinese, the afflicters, distressers, troublers) means passions and illusions; and consequently fan-nao in Buddhist phraseology has acquired this technical connotation of the passions and illusions. Many terms of a similar character are noted in the body of this work. Consequent partly on this use of ordinary terms, even a well-educated Chinese without a knowledge of the technical equivalents finds himself unable to understand their implications.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1875.