The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions

471 Pages·2001·8.65 MB·English

by  Andrew Delahunty

•
THE OXFORD
DICTIONARY OF
ALLUSIONS
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Allusions form a colourful extension to the English language, drawing
on our collective knowledge of literature, mythology, and the Bible to
provide us with 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 completely new reference work explains the meanings of the
allusions in use in modern English, from Abaddon to Zorro, Tartarus to
Tarzan, and Cinderella to Rambo. The book is based on an extensive
reading programme that has identified the most commonly-used
allusions, and a wealth of quotations are included to illustrate usage,
drawn from a range of authors and sources, from Thomas Hardy to Ben
Elton, Charles Dickens to Bridget Jones's Diary.
ISBN 0-19-860031-3
OXTORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
780198 600312">
www.oup.com £15.99 RRP $25.00 USA
Andrew Delahunty, Sheila Dignen, and
Penny Stock are all freelance lexicographers
with many years experience in writing
dictionaries and other reference works.
Between them they have worked on a wide
range of books including dictionaries
for adults, children, and those learning
English as a foreign language. This book
grew out of their shared interest in the
subject of allusions.
Jacket illustration: Echo and Narcissus, 1903, by
John William Waterhouse, Walker Art Gallery,
Liverpool/Bridgeman Art Library. Board of Trustees:
National Museums & Galleries on Merseyside.
Classic dictionaries from Oxford:
THE OXFORD
DICTIONARY OF PHRASE
& FABLE
Edited by
Elizabeth Knowles
A major reference work, diis book provides a wealth
of fascinating and informative background detail for
over 20,000 phrases used in English today. From
Barbie doll to the seven-league boots, this highly
browsable/><w/>o«m of terms includes entries from a
broad range of topics, from classical mythology,
history, religion, folk customs, popular culture,
science and technology, and many more.
THE OXFORD
DICTIONARY OF
QUOTATIONS
5th edition
}• Edited by
\ . Elizabeth Knowles
Acclaimed for its broad and authoritative coverage,
this major new edition contains 20,000 quotations
and a new thematic index. New sections bring
together Advertising slogans, Epitaphs, Film lines,
Misquotations, and other special categories, such as
Catchphrases, Opening lines, and Political slogans
and songs.
'Invaluable'
The Times
The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions

The Oxford Dictionary of
Allusions
Andrew Delahunty
Sheila Dignen, and
Penny Stock
OXFORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
OXTORD
UNIVERSITY PRESS
Great Clarendon Street, Oxford 0x2 6DP
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Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press
in the UK and in certain other countries
Published in the United States
by Oxford University Press Inc., New York
© Andrew Delahunty, Sheila Dignen, and Penny Stock 2001
The moral rights of the author have been asserted
Database right Oxford University Press (makers)
First published 2001
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press,
or as expressly permitted by law, or under terms agreed with the appropriate
reprographics rights organization. Enquiries concerning reproduction
outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department,
Oxford University Press, at the address above
You must not circulate this book in any other binding or cover
and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Data available
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Data available
ISBN 0-19-860031-3
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Designed by Jane Stevenson
Typeset in Photina and Quay Sans
by Interactive Sciences Ltd
Printed in Great Britain by
T. J. International, Padstow
Contents
Introduction vii
List of Themes xi
List of Special Entries xiii
Dictionary 1
Index 423