The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Encyclopedia
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, first published by the Oxford University Press
in 1941, is an 1100-page book listing short quotation
s that are common in English language
and culture.
Quotations are also cross-referenced. For example, on looking up Napoleon's quotation about Britain being a nation of shopkeepers
, one also finds Adam Smith
, who said it first. Quotations about absolute power are cross-referenced to Lord Acton, and from him to William Pitt the Elder, who said something similar.
The dictionary has been jokingly called the Oxford Dikker of Quotaggers using the Oxford "-er".
The first edition in 1941 was compiled by a committee drawn from the staff of the OUP under the editorship of Alice Mary Smith (later Alice Mary Hadfield). She recounts some of the details of choosing and processing quotations in her book on the life of Charles Williams (one of the committee). Later editions of the Dictionary were published in 1953 and thereafter, the 6th edition appearing in 2004 (ISBN 0-19-860720-2), followed in 2009 by the 7th edition, both edited by Elizabeth Knowles. (ISBN 0-19-923717-3)
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
in 1941, is an 1100-page book listing short quotation
Quotation
A quotation or quote is the repetition of one expression as part of another one, particularly when the quoted expression is well-known or explicitly attributed by citation to its original source, and it is indicated by quotation marks.A quotation can also refer to the repeated use of units of any...
s that are common in English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and culture.
Quotations are also cross-referenced. For example, on looking up Napoleon's quotation about Britain being a nation of shopkeepers
Nation of shopkeepers
The phrase "a nation of Shopkeepers" is a disparaging remark supposedly used by Napoleon to describe the United Kingdom as unfit for war against France.This phrase can be translated from French to English as:...
, one also finds Adam Smith
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish social philosopher and a pioneer of political economy. One of the key figures of the Scottish Enlightenment, Smith is the author of The Theory of Moral Sentiments and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations...
, who said it first. Quotations about absolute power are cross-referenced to Lord Acton, and from him to William Pitt the Elder, who said something similar.
The dictionary has been jokingly called the Oxford Dikker of Quotaggers using the Oxford "-er".
The first edition in 1941 was compiled by a committee drawn from the staff of the OUP under the editorship of Alice Mary Smith (later Alice Mary Hadfield). She recounts some of the details of choosing and processing quotations in her book on the life of Charles Williams (one of the committee). Later editions of the Dictionary were published in 1953 and thereafter, the 6th edition appearing in 2004 (ISBN 0-19-860720-2), followed in 2009 by the 7th edition, both edited by Elizabeth Knowles. (ISBN 0-19-923717-3)
Sources
- Hadfield, Alice Mary. An Introduction to Charles Williams. London: Robert Hale Ltd., 1959.
- Smith, Alice Mary, ed. The Oxford Book of Quotations. [First Edition.] London: OUP, 1941.