Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations
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Oxford Concise Dictionary of Quotations |
This book is not—like many quotations dictionaries—a subjective anthology of the
editor’s favourite quotations, but an objective selection of the quotations which are most widely
known and used. Popularity and familiarity are the main criteria for inclusion, although no reader
is likely to be familiar with all the quotations in this dictionary.
The book can be used for reference or for browsing: to trace the source of a particular
quotation or to find an appropriate saying for a special need.
The quotations are drawn from novels, plays, poems, essays, speeches, films radio and
television broadcasts, songs, advertisements, and even book titles. It is difficult to draw the line
between quotations and similar sayings like proverbs, catch-phrases, and idioms. For example,
some quotations (like “The opera ain’t over till the fat lady sings”) become proverbial.