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Adonis to Zorro
Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion
Third Edition
Andrew Delahunty and Sheila Dignen
416 pages
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234x156mm
978-0-19-956745-4
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Hardback
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23 September 2010
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- Market-leading A-Z reference work explaining the meaning and origins of allusions in use in English today
- 1,900 entries included, revised and updated for the third edition, with new short summary definitions, and most entries contain at least one relevant illustrative citation
- Broad depth of coverage includes references to everything from Lolita to Kafka, and the Mad Hatter to the Mafia
- Many new entries added, particularly on areas of modern and non-British culture
- Thematic index allows searching via topic, e.g. at Intelligence find Aristotle, Einstein, and Spock, and at Hair find Medusa, Samson, and Shirley Temple
New to this edition - All entries reviewed, revised, and updated for the third edition
- Many new entries added, particularly on areas of modern and non-British culture
- A short summary definition of each allusion - ideal for quick reference - is provided within each entry
Allusions form a colourful extension to the English language, drawing on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to give us a literary shorthand for describing people, places, and events. So a cunning crook is an Artful Dodger, a daydreamer is like Billy Liar, a powerful woman is a modern-day Amazon - we can suffer like Sisyphus, fail like Canute, or linger like the smile of the Cheshire Cat.
This absorbing and accessible A-Z explains the meanings of allusions in modern English, from Adonis to Zorro, Tartarus to Tarzan, and Rubens to Rambo. Fascinating to browse
through, the book is based on an extensive reading programme that has identified the most commonly-used allusions. For the third edition all entries have been reviewed, revised, and thoroughly updated to ensure the consistency of coverage of allusions and references. New to this edition is the inclusion within each entry of a short summary definition for the allusion or reference, ideal for quick reference, and at least one illustrative citation from a wide range of source materials in almost every entry: from Aldous Huxley to Philip Roth, Emily Brontë to The Guardian Unlimited. A useful thematic index allows searching for allusions related to a specific topic, e.g. at Intelligence find Aristotle, Einstein, and Spock, and at Hair find Medusa, Samson, and Shirley Temple.
Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion is both a useful and user-friendly reference work for students of English Literature and Language, as well as for non-native English speakers for aid with unusual references, and an absorbing volume for all lovers of literature and culture in general.Readership: Students of English Literature and Language, non-native English speakers, and lovers of fictional literature in general.
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Andrew Delahunty, Freelance, and Sheila Dignen, Freelance
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"This welcoming, elegant volume encourages the ferreting-out of chance discoveries." - Times Literary Supplement "This is an easy to use book." - Sunday Telegraph "Informative, useful and highly entertaining." - Manchester Evening News
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Introduction
Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion
Thematic Index
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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