The Yale Book of Quotations
Encyclopedia
The Yale Book of Quotations is a quotation
s collection that focuses on modern and American quotations and claims a high level of scholarship and reliability. Edited by Fred R. Shapiro
, it was published by Yale University Press
in 2006
with a foreword by Joseph Epstein
, ISBN 978-0-300-10798-2. Prior to publication it was referred to by its working title, The Yale Dictionary of Quotations. The book presents over 12,000 quotations on 1067 pages. It is arranged alphabetically by author (or, for some quotations, by quotation type), with some information as to the source of each quotation and, where the editor deems this relevant, cross-references to other quotations. A keyword index allows the reader to generally find quotations by significant words in the quotations.
As described in its introduction, The Yale Book of Quotations is characterized by its greater focus, relative to its nearest competitors, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
and The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
, on modern American quotations, including those that do not have conventional literary sources. These include quotations from politicians, judges, journalists, sportscasters, athletes, screenwriters, songwriters, and anonymous sources. There are special sections for some kinds of quotations, including advertising slogan
s, film
lines, folk
and anonymous songs, political slogans, proverb
s, and television catchphrases. There is also coverage of traditional literary sources. There are, for example, 400 quotations from the Bible
, 106 quotations from Charles Dickens
, 127 quotations from T. S. Eliot
, 153 quotations from Mark Twain
, and 455 quotations from William Shakespeare
. This coverage is less extensive than that offered by Bartlett's, which provides 1,642 quotations from the Bible and 1,906 from Shakespeare.
The Yale Book of Quotations introduction also exhaustively describes the editor's attempts at research to identify many famous quotations, trace them to their original sources as far as possible, and record those sources as precisely and accurately as he could. In compiling the book, Shapiro made extensive use of online databases to find earlier or more precise information about famous quotations. He also used the Stumpers
network of reference librarians and other research professionals; and the American Dialect Society
electronic mailing list, as well as traditional library research. Shapiro claims that, to ensure that famous quotations were included, he reviewed more than a thousand previous quotations collections and other types of anthologies, read the alt.quotations newsgroup and other Internet and online resources for a while, and consulted experts on famous authors and types of literature.
Shapiro's research resulted in some interesting findings, on occasion correcting misattributions elsewhere. The following are representative:
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 collection that focuses on modern and American quotations and claims a high level of scholarship and reliability. Edited by Fred R. Shapiro
Fred R. Shapiro
Fred R. Shapiro is the editor of The Yale Book of Quotations, The Oxford Dictionary of American Legal Quotations, and several other books...
, it was published by Yale University Press
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is a book publisher founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day. It became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but remains financially and operationally autonomous....
in 2006
2006 in literature
The year 2006 in literature involved some significant events and new books.-Literature:*Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun*Chris Adrian - The Children's Hospital *Martin Amis - House of Meetings...
with a foreword by Joseph Epstein
Joseph Epstein (writer)
Joseph Epstein is an essayist, short story writer, and editor, best known as a former editor of the Phi Beta Kappa Society's The American Scholar magazine and for his recent essay collection, Snobbery: The American Version. He was also a lecturer at Northwestern University from 1974 to 2002...
, ISBN 978-0-300-10798-2. Prior to publication it was referred to by its working title, The Yale Dictionary of Quotations. The book presents over 12,000 quotations on 1067 pages. It is arranged alphabetically by author (or, for some quotations, by quotation type), with some information as to the source of each quotation and, where the editor deems this relevant, cross-references to other quotations. A keyword index allows the reader to generally find quotations by significant words in the quotations.
As described in its introduction, The Yale Book of Quotations is characterized by its greater focus, relative to its nearest competitors, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Bartlett's Familiar Quotations, often simply called Bartlett's, is an American reference work that is the longest-lived and most widely distributed collection of quotations...
and The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, first published by the Oxford University Press in 1941, is an 1100-page book listing short quotations that are common in English language and culture....
, on modern American quotations, including those that do not have conventional literary sources. These include quotations from politicians, judges, journalists, sportscasters, athletes, screenwriters, songwriters, and anonymous sources. There are special sections for some kinds of quotations, including advertising slogan
Advertising slogan
Advertising slogans are short, often memorable phrases used in advertising campaigns. They are claimed to be the most effective means of drawing attention to one or more aspects of a product. A strapline is a British term used as a secondary sentence attached to a brand name...
s, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
lines, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and anonymous songs, political slogans, proverb
Proverb
A proverb is a simple and concrete saying popularly known and repeated, which expresses a truth, based on common sense or the practical experience of humanity. They are often metaphorical. A proverb that describes a basic rule of conduct may also be known as a maxim...
s, and television catchphrases. There is also coverage of traditional literary sources. There are, for example, 400 quotations from the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
, 106 quotations from Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
, 127 quotations from T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
, 153 quotations from Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
, and 455 quotations from William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
. This coverage is less extensive than that offered by Bartlett's, which provides 1,642 quotations from the Bible and 1,906 from Shakespeare.
The Yale Book of Quotations introduction also exhaustively describes the editor's attempts at research to identify many famous quotations, trace them to their original sources as far as possible, and record those sources as precisely and accurately as he could. In compiling the book, Shapiro made extensive use of online databases to find earlier or more precise information about famous quotations. He also used the Stumpers
Stumpers-L
The Stumpers-L electronic mailing list, was a resource available for librarians and others to discuss reference questions which they were unable to answer using available resources...
network of reference librarians and other research professionals; and the American Dialect Society
American Dialect Society
The American Dialect Society, founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society publishes the academic journal, American Speech...
electronic mailing list, as well as traditional library research. Shapiro claims that, to ensure that famous quotations were included, he reviewed more than a thousand previous quotations collections and other types of anthologies, read the alt.quotations newsgroup and other Internet and online resources for a while, and consulted experts on famous authors and types of literature.
Shapiro's research resulted in some interesting findings, on occasion correcting misattributions elsewhere. The following are representative:
- It was the Earl of SandwichEarl of SandwichEarl of Sandwich is a 17th century title in the Peerage of England, nominally associated with Sandwich, Kent. It was created in 1660 for the prominent naval commander Admiral Sir Edward Montagu. He was made Baron Montagu, of St Neots in the County of Huntingdon, and Viscount Hinchingbrooke, at the...
and the English actor and playwright Samuel FooteSamuel FooteSamuel Foote was a British dramatist, actor and theatre manager from Cornwall.-Early life:Born into a well-to-do family, Foote was baptized in Truro, Cornwall on 27 January 1720. His father, John Foote, held several public positions, including mayor of Truro, Member of Parliament representing...
who had the exchange "I think, that you must either die of the p-x, or the halter." "My lord, that will depend upon one of two contingencies;--whether I embrace your lordship's mistress, or your lordship's principles." The Yale Book of Quotations traces this to an 1809 source. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations attributed the exchange to Sandwich and John WilkesJohn WilkesJohn Wilkes was an English radical, journalist and politician.He was first elected Member of Parliament in 1757. In the Middlesex election dispute, he fought for the right of voters—rather than the House of Commons—to determine their representatives...
, based upon a 1935 book.
- "Go West, young man" was indeed by Horace GreeleyHorace GreeleyHorace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
. As The Yale Book of Quotations describes in a detailed note, many reference works, including Bartlett's and The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, wrongly attribute it to John Soule.
- "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch" is traced to the Reno Evening Gazette on January 22, 1942, in the form "such a thing as a 'free' lunch never existed." Such a finding would have been unlikely without the use of electronic databases.
- The remark that Fred AstaireFred AstaireFred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
"was great, but don't forget that Ginger RogersGinger RogersGinger Rogers was an American actress, dancer, and singer who appeared in film, and on stage, radio, and television throughout much of the 20th century....
did everything he did, . . . backwards and in high heels" has been attributed to Ann RichardsAnn RichardsDorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
, Linda EllerbeeLinda EllerbeeLinda Ellerbee is an American journalist who is most known for several jobs at NBC News, including Washington, DC correspondent, host of the Nickelodeon network's Nick News, and reporter and co-anchor of NBC News Overnight, which was recognized by the jurors of the duPont Columbia Awards as...
, or Faith WhittleseyFaith WhittleseyFaith Ryan Whittlesey is a former Republican politician and White House Senior Staff member notable for her effort to communicate Reagan's entire policy agenda to U.S...
. Shapiro found that the earliest reference was in the Frank and ErnestFrank and Ernest (comic strip)Frank and Ernest is a comic strip created and illustrated by Bob Thaves and later Tom Thaves. It debuted on November 6, 1972, and has since been published daily in over 1,200 newspapers...
comic strip on May 3, 1982, and he contacted the strip's creator, Bob ThavesBob ThavesRobert Thaves was the creator of the comic strip Frank and Ernest, which began in 1972.Thaves' desire to become a cartoonist began in his childhood. He had no formal training; instead, he practised by studying and drawing the works of other cartoonists...
, to confirm that Thaves was the originator.
See also
- Bartlett's Familiar QuotationsBartlett's Familiar QuotationsBartlett's Familiar Quotations, often simply called Bartlett's, is an American reference work that is the longest-lived and most widely distributed collection of quotations...
- The Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsThe Oxford Dictionary of QuotationsThe Oxford Dictionary of Quotations, first published by the Oxford University Press in 1941, is an 1100-page book listing short quotations that are common in English language and culture....
- WikiquoteWikiquoteWikiquote is one of a family of wiki-based projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation, running on MediaWiki software. Based on an idea by Daniel Alston and implemented by Brion Vibber, the goal of the project is to produce collaboratively a vast reference of quotations from prominent people, books,...
External links
- The New Yorker – book review by Louis Menand
- Yale University Press – The Yale Book of Quotations home page, including an excerpt that provides the full text of its introduction