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Summary
Summary
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 miser is a Scrooge, a strong man is a Samson or a Hercules, a beautiful woman is a Venus or a modern-day Helen of Troy - we can suffer like Sisyphus, fail like Canute, or linger like the smile of the Cheshire Cat.This absorbing reference work explains the meanings of allusions in modern English, from Abaddon 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. Quotations are included in most entries to illustrate usage, from a range of authors and sources, from Thomas Hardy to Ben Elton, Charles Dickens to Bridget Jones's Diary. For this new second edition the most up-to-date allusions from Gollum to Kofi Annan have been added, and a handy A-Z order has been adopted for extra ease of reference.
Author Notes
Andrew Delahunty is a freelance lexicographer and dictionary editor. His publications include the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture (1992), the Oxford Guide to English Usage (with Edmund Weiner, 1994), the Longman Business English Dictionary (2000), and the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary (6th edn, 2000). Sheila Dignen is a freelance lexicographer who has worked on the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture (1992), the Dorling Kindersley Illustrated Children's Dictionary (1994), the Chambers Junior Illustrated Dictionary (1997), and the Longman Business English Dictionary (2000). Penny Stock is a freelance lexicographer. She has contributed to the Longman New Universal Dictionary (1982), the Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture (1992), the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary of English (1995), and the Encarta World English Dictionary (1999).
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Adult/High School-This volume arranges literary, mythological, biblical, and popular references by theme. A line or two introduces each subject noting common associations, and/or scope of the entries that follow. "Nonconformity" includes brief entries on Bohemia, Holden Caulfield, James Dean, Galileo, and other characters and individuals. Many of these entries are accompanied by an excerpt illustrating its use in a work of literature (with author, title, and date). "Abundance and Plenty," "Change," "Destiny and Luck," "Freedom," and "Time" are just a few of the broad topics examined. There are also some in-depth discussions of allusions to Don Quixote, Odysseus, Achilles, the Trojan War, Moses, and other characters, events, and concepts. One of these covers David, describing the Old Testament hero's battle with Goliath, his relationship with Bathsheba, and the rebellion of Absalom, while cross-references will lead readers to other related entries. A list of the topics examined is given in the front of the book. Students will find using this resource similar to working with a thesaurus and will appreciate the simplicity of the dual index containing both themes and references. Purchase as an aid to creative writing and literary analysis.-Vicki Reutter, Cazenovia High School, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Choice Review
A brilliantly organized handbook of names, places, and phrases, Oxford's guide to allusions is essential for writers, students, teachers, journalists, editors, critics, and librarians. A highly readable text categorizes entries under 190 general headings, ranging from fatness, destruction, and illusion to quest and outlaws. Each gives a brief overview; e.g., the limits of "craftsmen"--Daedalus under the heading "sculptors." Valuable to students are 22 special entries, nine from Greek mythology and an equal number from the Bible. The entry for Dionysus, Greek god of wine and revelry, summarizes myths about the deity, refers to Bacchus, the deity's Roman name, and cites four main headings that allude to Dionysus. The writing is simple enough for secondary students, e.g., the entry for Pontius Pilate explains clearly his historical significance and cites from Matthew his denial of blood guilt. Selection of cited material is refreshingly unpedantic. Bram Stoker, Saki, V.S. Naipaul, Robertson Davies, Kurt Vonnegut, and Martin Amis are quoted alongside The Guardian, New Scientist, The Independent, and Observer and lines from classic English writers like Keats, Hardy, Thackeray, Pope, Wilde, and Richardson. Female authors get short shrift, as do US sources, but the editors have tried, citing Stephen Crane, Edith Wharton, John Steinbeck, Elizabeth Gaskell, Nadine Gordimer, and George Eliot. Faults are few. Some entries are barren (four lines on Isaiah, four on Billy the Kid, three on Daphne, one on Old Nick, all without citations). The index simplifies use of the text in a double-column arrangement--term to the left and sources to the right in boldface. Oxford improves significantly on Merriam Webster's Dictionary of Allusions (CH, Mar'00). It should remain in print and in use for a long time. M. E. Snodgrass independent scholar
Library Journal Review
Wonderfully conceived and extraordinarily useful, this new literary dictionary has been created by a team of freelance lexicographers who have compiled many dictionaries, and their experience shows. The contents have been drawn from a wide-ranging reading program designed to identify the allusions encountered most frequently in literature both modern and canonical. Thus, it covers classical myths and modern culture and ranges from "Ahab" to "Teflon," "Eve" to "Darth Vader." The dictionary is alphabetical but can be searched both by the word used as an allusion and by the theme represented. The dictionary is particularly well laid out, with the major theme of the allusion captioned and explained, followed by the words representing that allusion. Many entries include a quotation illustrating the allusion in use. For allusions based on names, the editors have added explanatory sections describing who these figures were and why they and/or their stories represent various themes. What results is a supremely useful dictionary that is highly recommend for all libraries. Neal Wyatt, Chesterfield P.L., VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Table of Contents
| Introduction |
| A-Z Dictionary of Allusions |
