Excerpt from A Dictionary of Quotations From Various Authors in Ancient and Modern Languages: With English Translations Having occasionally employed myself, as a matter of amusement, in making a collection of Quotations from various authors, and in different languages; a collection originally intended by me, as a present to a juvenile relation, who was about to enter into one of the learned professions; and having accidentally, after my own work had approached near to its consummation, met with a Dictionary of Quotations, compiled by D. E. Macdonnell, Esq. of the Inner Temple, a work which exhibits in a very favourable point of view the literary attainments and industrious research of that very learned gentleman; the idea occurred to me (though I had never before thought of offering to public notice the gleanings which I had gathered together) that the value of his Dictionary would be enhanced, and its utility be rendered more extensive, by the incorporation with it of my collection, on the same plan which Mr. Macdonnell had, with so much judgment, adopted; and on consulting a literary friend, in whose opinion I place much confidence, he gave me the encouragement of his most unqualified approbation of my design, and of his decided belief as to the general usefulness of such an augmented compilation. He, however, at the same time suggested the propriety of studiously avoiding the use of the same translations given by Mr. Macdonnell, as my availing myself of the productions of his pen, without acknowledging the fact, might be considered as an act of plagiarism, and an encroachment on his property. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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From Homer ("winged words") to Robert Burns ("Beware a tongue that's smoothly hung") to Rudyard Kipling ("Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind"), writers from all over the world have put pen to paper on the inexhaustible topic of language. Yet surprisingly, their writings on the subject have never been gathered in a single volume. In Words on Words, David and Hilary Crystal have collected nearly 5,000 quotations about language and all its intriguing aspects: speaking, reading, writing, translation, verbosity, usage, slang, and more. As the stock-in-trade of so many professions—orators, media personalities, writers, and countless others—language's appeal as a subject is extraordinarily relevant and wide-ranging. The quotations are grouped thematically under 65 different headings, from "The Nature of Language" through the "Language of Politics" to "Quoting and Misquoting." This arrangement enables the reader to explore a topic through a variety of lenses, ancient and modern, domestic and foreign, scientific and casual, ironic and playful. Three thorough indexes—to authors, sources, and key words—provide different entry points into the collection. A valuable resource for professional writers and scholars, Words on Words is for anyone who loves language and all things linguistic.

Erasmus advised readers to learn quotations by heart and copy them everywhere: write them in the front and back of books; inscribe them on rings and cups; paint them on doors and walls, ?even on the glass of a window.? Emerson noted that ?in Europe, every church is a kind of book or bible, so covered is it with inscriptions and pictures.? In Arabic script as tall as a man, the Koran is quoted on the walls and domes of mosques. ø We quote to admire, provoke, commemorate, dispute, play, and inspire. Quotations signal class, club, clique, and alma mater. They animate wit, relay prophecies, guide meditation, and accessorize fashion. ø In Quotology Willis Goth Regier draws on world literature and contemporary events to show how vital quotations are, how they are collected and organized, and how deceptive they can be. He probes all these aspects, identifying fifty-nine types of quotations, including misquotations and anonymous sayings. Following the logic of quotology, Quotology concludes with famous last words.