"Dr Brewer's classic work of reference, fully revised and updated for the millennium, now available in paperback"

This Dictionary is part of the Oxford Reference Collection: using sustainable print-on-demand technology to make the acclaimed backlist of the Oxford Reference programme perennially available in hardback format. What is a ham-and-egger? What are Anglo-Saxon attitudes? Who or what is liable to jump the shark? Who first tried to nail jelly to the wall? The answers to these and many more questions are in this fascinating book. Here in one volume you can track down the stories behind the names and sayings you meet, whether in classic literature or today's news. Drawing on Oxford's unrivalled bank of reference and language online resources, this dictionary covers classical and other mythologies, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture. Extensive cross referencing makes it easy to trace specific information, while every page points to further paths to explore. A fascinating slice of cultural history, and a browser's delight from start to finish. What is the fog of war? Who first wanted to spend more time with one's family? When was the Dreamtime? How long since the first cry of Women and children first? Where might you find dark matter? Would you want the Midas touch? Should you worry about grey goo?

This work explains the origins of the familiar and the unfamiliar in everyday speech and literature, including the colloquial and the proverbial. It embraces archaeology, history, religion, the arts, science, mythology and characters from fiction.

A brand-new 'Brewer's' dedicated to the 'phrase and fable' of the emerald isle.

Completely updated for the twenty-first century, this reference presents definitions and origins of thousands of words, idioms, catchphrases, slogans, nicknames, and events from TV, literature, music, comic strips, and computer games.

A browsable and addictive collection of pen-portraits of 1500 extraordinary characters from British and Irish history

In this book: Much loved for its wit and wisdom since 1870, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable takes you on a captivating adventure through its trademark blend of language, culture, myth and legend. Edited by Susie Dent, this new edition contains an intriguing supplement of Brewer's Gems-facts, fables and curiosities from Brewer collections of the past. Its pages brim with esoteric and entertaining entries - everything from curiouscustoms to the world of newspapers and political alliances of yesteryear - all seen through the distinctive Brewer lens. This nineteenth edition of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable encapsulates all the charm and wit that characterise its predecessors and maintains the standards of scholarship and eclecticism that have long been its hallmark. This unique edition has been thoroughly updated with over 100 new and revised entries -think crowdsourcing, cyberpunk, iPad and mash-up - guaranteed to delight, entertain and inspire in the best Brewer's tradition. Also included are twenty special entries that encapsulate the enticing spirit of the dictionary. Discover Brewer's take on angels, heraldry, pub signs and recluses and delve into the lexicographical world of the eggcorn. Whether you're a committed Brewerphile or a newcomer to its pages of fascinating entries, this edition will draw you in and keep you glued to its rich mix of eccentric nuggets. As Susie Dent explains in the foreword, Brewer's 'is not a straightforward dictionary, nor is it an encyclopaedia. It is, in fact, unlike any other reference book that exists, anywhere.'

A dictionary of modern slang draws on the resources of the "Oxford English Dictionary" to cover over five thousand slang words and phrases from throughout the English-speaking world.