
Adonis to Zorro
Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion
Oxford University Press
3rd Edition
Published on 23. September 2010
Book
Hardback
416 pages
978-0-19-956745-4 (ISBN)
Description
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 Bronte 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.
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 Bronte 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.
Reviews / Votes
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 *More details
Edition
3rd Revised edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Edition type
Revised edition
Dimensions
Height: 238 mm
Width: 163 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
758 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-956745-4 (9780199567454)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Andrew Delahunty
Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion
Book
11/2012
3rd Edition
Oxford University Press
€13.63
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Persons
Andrew Delahunty and Sheila Dignen are freelance lexicographers with many years' experience in writing dictionaries and other reference works. They have worked on a wide range of books including dictionaries for adults, children, and ELT.
Sheila's recent publications include the Longman Business English Dictionary (2000), the Oxford Junior Dictionary (2007), and the Oxford Junior Thesaurus (2007).
Andrew's recent publications include Talking Balls: A Guide to the Language of Sport (2006), the Oxford Primary Dictionary (2007), and From Bonbon to Cha-cha: Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (2008).
Sheila's recent publications include the Longman Business English Dictionary (2000), the Oxford Junior Dictionary (2007), and the Oxford Junior Thesaurus (2007).
Andrew's recent publications include Talking Balls: A Guide to the Language of Sport (2006), the Oxford Primary Dictionary (2007), and From Bonbon to Cha-cha: Oxford Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases (2008).
Content
INTRODUCTION; OXFORD DICTIONARY OF REFERENCE AND ALLUSION; THEMATIC INDEX