The aim of the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms is to
provide clear definitions of
phrases and sayings for those who do not know what they mean, but also to
offer the curious reader interesting facts about the origins of phrases and
examples of their use. This second edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms is
based on the first edition, edited by Jennifer Speake. It maintains the first
edition's focus on contemporary and historical phrases, sayings, and
proverbs, and uses a combination of definition and (where required)
explanatory note and illustrative quotation to provide a rounded picture of
idiomatic usage. The coverage of the previous edition has been extended by
the inclusion of more than 350 new idioms, and a great many contemporary
illustrative quotations have also been added. These quotations have been
taken from a variety of sources: from novels to travel guides, broadsheet
newspapers to teenage magazines. They help to give the reader a better
understanding of how an idiom is used: a typical context, a certain tone, or a
particular resonance. The formation of new phrases and sayings is one of
the most colourful aspects of language development, and by adding idioms
such as chew the scenery, be in like Flynn, and give someone the hairy
eyeball, and quotations from the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Arundhati Roy,
Melvin Burgess, and Tom Clancy, the new edition hopes to reflect this
colour.
A new index section at the end of the book groups together idioms which
share a common theme or subject, so giving readers a vivid snapshot of
those areas and aspects of life that have generated a particularly rich variety
of figurative expressions.
My thanks must go to Richard Jones for his work on sourcing quotations,
to Georgia Hole for proofreading, and above all to Sara Hawker for her help
and insight throughout the project.
phrases and sayings for those who do not know what they mean, but also to
offer the curious reader interesting facts about the origins of phrases and
examples of their use. This second edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Idioms is
based on the first edition, edited by Jennifer Speake. It maintains the first
edition's focus on contemporary and historical phrases, sayings, and
proverbs, and uses a combination of definition and (where required)
explanatory note and illustrative quotation to provide a rounded picture of
idiomatic usage. The coverage of the previous edition has been extended by
the inclusion of more than 350 new idioms, and a great many contemporary
illustrative quotations have also been added. These quotations have been
taken from a variety of sources: from novels to travel guides, broadsheet
newspapers to teenage magazines. They help to give the reader a better
understanding of how an idiom is used: a typical context, a certain tone, or a
particular resonance. The formation of new phrases and sayings is one of
the most colourful aspects of language development, and by adding idioms
such as chew the scenery, be in like Flynn, and give someone the hairy
eyeball, and quotations from the likes of Anthony Bourdain, Arundhati Roy,
Melvin Burgess, and Tom Clancy, the new edition hopes to reflect this
colour.
A new index section at the end of the book groups together idioms which
share a common theme or subject, so giving readers a vivid snapshot of
those areas and aspects of life that have generated a particularly rich variety
of figurative expressions.
My thanks must go to Richard Jones for his work on sourcing quotations,
to Georgia Hole for proofreading, and above all to Sara Hawker for her help
and insight throughout the project.
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