The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs » (REV)

Offering definitions, examples of use, and dates of first usage, this dictionary alphabetically presents such 1500 proverbs, from "absence is the mother of disillusion" to "you win some you lose some." The proverbs are drawn from common English usage in England and North America, missing many proverbs that are used in other parts of the English-speaking world. Also included are indexes that list proverbs by theme and key word. Annotation c. Book News, Inc.,Portland, OR

Library Journal

Proverbs, as distinct from aphorisms, epigrams, maxims, and slogans, are complete, standalone thoughts that figure largely in our conversation and our literature. Manser (Facts On File Dictionary of Foreign Words and Phrases), who has published numerous scholarly books and articles on language and proverbs in particular, here includes 1500 brief entries, all found in written English from the earliest times to the present. Arranged alphabetically, each entry succinctly elucidates the meaning of a common proverb, including origin, variant forms, and examples of usage, e.g., "to err is human, to forgive divine" is derived from an early Latin text and appears in an essay by Alexander Pope in 1711, while the more familiar "boys seldom make passes at girls who wear glasses" is often attributed to Ogden Nash but actually originated with Dorothy Parker. With 15,000 entries, Wolfgang Mieder's magisterial A Dictionary of American Proverbs is a major (if somewhat older) resource. But while Manser's work is not exhaustive, it is an exceptional ready-reference source, comparing favorably with such classic collections as The Penguin Dictionary of Proverbs and various Oxford publications by virtue of its conciseness and engaging style. Recommended for all library collections.-Richard K. Burns, M.S.L.S., Hatboro, PA