This extensive collection of proverbs, all coined after 1900, reflects the experiences and perplexities of the modern world "You can't unring a bell." "It takes a village to raise a child." "Life is just a bowl of cherries." We sometimes think of proverbs as expressions of ancient wisdom, but in fact new proverbs are constantly arising. This unique volume is devoted exclusively to English-language proverbs that originated in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The most complete and accurate such collection ever compiled, The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs presents more than 1,400 individual proverbs gathered and researched with the help of electronic full-text databases not previously used for such a project.Entries are organized alphabetically by key words, with information about the earliest datable appearance, origin, history, and meaning of each proverb. Mundane or sublime, serious or jocular, these memorable sayings represent virtually every aspect of the modern experience. Readers will find the book almost impossible to put down once opened; every page offers further proof of the immense vitality of proverbs and their colorful contributions to the oral traditions of today.
CONTRIBUTORS: Wolfgang Mieder, Fred R. Shapiro, Charles Clay DoyleEAN: 9780300136029COUNTRY: United StatesPAGES: WEIGHT: 680 gHEIGHT: 235 cm
PUBLISHED BY: Yale University PressDATE PUBLISHED: CITY: GENRE: REFERENCE / Dictionaries, REFERENCE / QuotationsWIDTH: 178 cmSPINE:
Book Themes:
Language: history and general works, Reference works
“It’s a fabulous book, certainly the most enjoyable one I’ve read this year.”—Ben Yagoda, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Lingua Franca blog,
"With its focus on proverbs that originated since 1900, this rich collection of 1,400 sayings drawn from newspapers, songs, and films is the first to use recently digitized sources to provide more accurate attributions. Alphabetized by keyword with information about each proverb's earliest datable appearance, origin, history, and meaning, the work is endlessly entertaining."—Library Journal, Selected as a Choice Outstanding 2012 Title for Humanities within the Reference category.
Charles Clay Doyle is associate professor of English and linguistics, University of Georgia, and past president of the Western States Folklore Society. He lives in Athens, GA. Wolfgang Mieder is professor of German and folklore, University of Vermont. He is the author or editor of numerous books on proverbs and the founding editor of Proverbium: Yearbook of International Proverb Scholarship. He lives in Burlington, VT. Fred R. Shapiro is associate librarian and lecturer in legal research at Yale Law School. He is author or editor of several previous books, including the The Yale Book of Quotations. He lives in New Haven, CT.
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This extensive collection of proverbs, all coined after 1900, reflects the experiences and perplexities of the modern world "You can't unring a bell." "It takes a village to raise a child." "Life is just a bowl of cherries." We sometimes think of proverbs as expressions of ancient wisdom, but in fact new proverbs are constantly arising. This unique volume is devoted exclusively to English-language proverbs that originated in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The most complete and accurate such collection ever compiled, The Dictionary of Modern Proverbs presents more than 1,400 individual proverbs gathered and researched with the help of electronic full-text databases not previously used for such a project.Entries are organized alphabetically by key words, with information about the earliest datable appearance, origin, history, and meaning of each proverb. Mundane or sublime, serious or jocular, these memorable sayings represent virtually every aspect of the modern experience. Readers will find the book almost impossible to put down once opened; every page offers further proof of the immense vitality of proverbs and their colorful contributions to the oral traditions of today.
CONTRIBUTORS: Wolfgang Mieder, Fred R. Shapiro, Charles Clay DoyleEAN: 9780300136029COUNTRY: United StatesPAGES: WEIGHT: 680 gHEIGHT: 235 cm
PUBLISHED BY: Yale University PressDATE PUBLISHED: CITY: GENRE: REFERENCE / Dictionaries, REFERENCE / QuotationsWIDTH: 178 cmSPINE:
Book Themes:
Language: history and general works, Reference works
Charles Clay Doyle is associate professor of English and linguistics, University of Georgia, and past president of the Western States Folklore Society. He lives in Athens, GA. Wolfgang Mieder is professor of German and folklore, University of Vermont. He is the author or editor of numerous books on proverbs and the founding editor of Proverbium: Yearbook of International Proverb Scholarship. He lives in Burlington, VT. Fred R. Shapiro is associate librarian and lecturer in legal research at Yale Law School. He is author or editor of several previous books, including the The Yale Book of Quotations. He lives in New Haven, CT.
I was truly blessed to hear this book read aloud by the author herself. As a teacher, I have to give Refiloe five stars as she held those six year old's in the palm of her hand. If any of you know children, you know they have the concentration of a flea! The children, however, were spellbound, for just under a hour. When I reflected back on how successful the author's visit was I realized, it was the content of the book that captured their hearts. Every child could relate to one or other theme that was addressed in this beautifully illustrated book. If truth be told, it was also magnificently presented. Refiloe is a dynamic orator. Many more schools need to have her books on their library shelves and allow her to grace them with her presence.
