A Dictionary of Proverbs

• Contains over 1,100 of the most widely used proverbs in English
• Uses research and evidence from the Oxford English Corpus, the world's largest language databank
• Expanded coverage of foreign language proverbs currently in use in English
• Revised and fully updated edition with numerous new entries
• Thematic index is as ideal for quick reference as the A-Z section is for browsing
• Usage examples, including the earliest written evidence, provide a fascinating history of each proverb

New to this edition

• Fully revised and updated content
• Numerous entirely new entries
• Expanded coverage of proverbs with foreign language origins currently in use in English

Readership: Ideal for anyone with an interest in the English language and its history and for writers and speechmakers looking for a neat or quirky expression to convey what they mean. Also a useful resource for learners of English and for those who want help with the crossword.

Edited by Jennifer Speake

Review(s) from previous edition

"brilliantly arranged . . . I recommend it without hesitation to all students of the English language and lovers of literature, as well as to pedants, crossword fanatics and those who like to prove people wrong in argument. - Auberon Waugh, Sunday Telegraph

"much pleasure, earthy or erudite, and sometimes both, lies here in store" - Richard Holmes, The Times

Introduction
Abbreviations
Dictionary
Bibliography
Thematic Index