RSSOxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion
Dec 02
Title: Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion
Subtitle: Third Edition
Publication Year: 2012
Publisher: Oxford University Press
http://www.oup.com/us
Book URL: http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Reference/?view=usa&ci=9780199567461
Author: Andrew Delahunty
Author: Sheila Dignen
Paperback: ISBN: 9780199567461 Pages: 416 Price: U.S. $ 18.95
Abstract:
Allusions are a marvelous literary shorthand. A miser is a Scrooge, a strong
man a Samson, a beautiful woman a modern-day Helen of Troy. From classical
mythology to modern movies and TV shows, this revised and updated third
edition explains the meanings of more than 2,000 allusions in use in modern
English, from Abaddon to Zorro, Tartarus to Tarzan, and Rambo to Rubens. Based
on an extensive reading program that has identified the most commonly used
allusions, this fascinating volume includes numerous quotations to illustrate
usage, drawn from sources ranging from Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens to
Bridget Jones’s Diary. In addition, the dictionary includes a useful thematic
index, so that readers not only can look up Medea to find out how her name is
used as an allusion, but also can look up the theme of “Revenge” and find,
alongside Medea, entries for other figures used to allude to revenge, such as
The Furies or The Count of Monte Cristo.
Hailed by Library Journal as “wonderfully conceived and extraordinarily
useful,” this superb reference–now available in paperback–will appeal to
anyone who enjoys language in all its variety. It is especially useful for
students and writers.
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