Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Encyclopedia
Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, sometimes referred to simply as Brewer's, is a reference work
containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions and figures, whether historical or mythical.
' and ranges from classical mythology
to relatively recent literature. On top of this, Brewer added notes on important historical figures and events, and other things which he thought would be of interest, such as Roman numerals
.
Although intended as a comprehensive reference work, early editions of Brewer's are highly idiosyncratic, with certain editorial decisions highly suggestive of the author's personal bias. For instance, a list under the entry for John purported to show the bad luck associated with that name, ending "Certainly a disastrous list of Popes" despite several being described merely as "nonentities". Some entries seem so trivial as to be hardly worth including, and others are almost definitely apocryphal.
Despite this inconsistency, however, the book was a huge success, providing information often not included in more traditional dictionaries and encyclopedias. A revised and updated edition was published in 1896, shortly before Brewer died. Since then, it has been continually revised and reprinted, often In Facsimile, with the 15th edition being the first to make truly wide-scale changes to the content.
The "Revised and Updated Edition" from the 1890s is now in the public domain
, and web-based versions are available online.
(2002). Brewer's Dictionary of London Phrase and Fable was published in 2009 and Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and Fable
was reissued at the same time.
Reference work
A reference work is a compendium of information, usually of a specific type, compiled in a book for ease of reference. That is, the information is intended to be quickly found when needed. Reference works are usually referred to for particular pieces of information, rather than read beginning to end...
containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions and figures, whether historical or mythical.
History
Originally published in 1870 by the Reverend E. Cobham Brewer, it was aimed at the growing number of people who did not have a university education, but wanted to understand the origins of phrases and historical or literary allusions. The 'phrase' part of the title refers mainly to the explanation of various idioms and proverbs, while the 'fable' part might more accurately be labelled 'folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
' and ranges from classical mythology
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
to relatively recent literature. On top of this, Brewer added notes on important historical figures and events, and other things which he thought would be of interest, such as Roman numerals
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
.
Although intended as a comprehensive reference work, early editions of Brewer's are highly idiosyncratic, with certain editorial decisions highly suggestive of the author's personal bias. For instance, a list under the entry for John purported to show the bad luck associated with that name, ending "Certainly a disastrous list of Popes" despite several being described merely as "nonentities". Some entries seem so trivial as to be hardly worth including, and others are almost definitely apocryphal.
Despite this inconsistency, however, the book was a huge success, providing information often not included in more traditional dictionaries and encyclopedias. A revised and updated edition was published in 1896, shortly before Brewer died. Since then, it has been continually revised and reprinted, often In Facsimile, with the 15th edition being the first to make truly wide-scale changes to the content.
The "Revised and Updated Edition" from the 1890s is now in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
, and web-based versions are available online.
Current edition
The most recent version is the 18th edition, published in August 2009 by Chambers Harrap Publishers. See some sample material here.Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable
Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable, edited by Adrian Room, was first published in 2000. A second edition, edited by Ian Crofton and John Ayto, publishes September 2009 more details here. While this title is based on the structure of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, it contains entries from 1900 onwards and exists alongside its parent volume as a separate work.Other special editions
A variety of spin-off editions has been published in the past, some straying quite far from the theme of 'phrase and fable', such as Brewer's Dictionary of Cinema (1997) and William Donaldson's A-Z of 'roguish Britons', Brewer's Rogues, Villains and EccentricsBrewer's Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics
Brewer's Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics is a reference book first published by Brewer's in 2002 and edited/compiled by William Donaldson.The book is an esoteric look at some of the wilder characters emanating from the United Kingdom and has been described as "a work of maniacal genius"...
(2002). Brewer's Dictionary of London Phrase and Fable was published in 2009 and Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and Fable
Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and Fable
Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and Fable was created by Jo O'Donoghue and Sean McMahon for the Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable series of books...
was reissued at the same time.
See also
- Brewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and FableBrewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and FableBrewer's Dictionary of Irish Phrase and Fable was created by Jo O'Donoghue and Sean McMahon for the Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable series of books...
- Chambers Harrap Publishers
- A Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things FamiliarA Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things FamiliarA Guide to the Scientific Knowledge of Things Familiar, also known as The Guide to Science or Brewer's Guide to Science, is a book by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer presenting explanations for common phenomena...
– also by Ebenezer Cobham BrewerEbenezer Cobham BrewerThe Reverend Dr. Ebenezer Cobham Brewer , was the compiler of Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, and The Reader's Handbook, Victorian reference works.-Education and travels:E...
External links
- All about Brewer's Books
- Wikisource version
- Internet Archive edition: downloadable full text from Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...