Product Description
This comprehensive anthology includes more than 20,000 quotations, listed both by the person or source and under thematic headings. In addition to a wide selection of classic and well-known entries, the book contains hundreds of bon mots from all areas of contemporary society, including television, radio, music, advertising and the cinema. To ensure that the right quotation can be found easily, the editor has arranged the entries under thousands of thematic and biographical headings. In addition, key-word indexes allow the user to find exactly the right phrase quickly and easily, while cross-references under the thematic headings suggest related topics that may be of interest. John Daintith is the author of "The Bloomsbury Book of Quotations". ... Read more

Product Description
If you want something special to say to a special person
If you are looking for something that expresses your feelings better than you can
If you have ever been in love

Then The Arden Shakespeare Book of Quotations on Love is for you. Gathered here are the finest of Shakespeare's insights into the joys, trials and intensities of love in all its stages, along with selections from the most beautiful of all his love poetry. ... Read more

Product Description
A guide to the wit and wisdom of the ages, containing over 2000 classic and modern quotations in an easy-to-use format, ideal for reference and browsing. ... Read more

Product Description
Breathtakingly comprehensive and completely up-to-date, "The New Penguin Dictionary of Quotations" is an expansive collection of witty sayings, pithy comments and sage words. From Chinua Achebe to Emile Zola, each entry collates the most famous, surprising or unusual quotations from a wide range of people and includes a mini-biography that helps put the sayings in context. Together, they build up to form a fascinating portrayal of wit and wisdom down the ages. It is an invaluable companion and source book for the reader, writer, avid browser or after-dinner speaker. ... Read more

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Inspirational quotations ... Read more

Product Description
This memorable collection of quotations features 125 politicians, including Francis Bacon, Otto Von Bismarck, Napoleon Bonaparte, Edmund Burke, Sir Winston Churchill, Georges Clemenceau, Oliver Cromwell, Charles de Gaulle, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Benjamin Franklin, Indira Gandhi, Adolf Hitler, Thomas Jefferson, Robert Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, Abraham Lincoln, Mao Zedong, Golda Meir, Richard M. Nixon, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and Josef Stalin.
... Read more

Product Description
In the Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations, the late writer and satirist Ned Sherrin has gathered more than 5,000 quotations in a rollicking collection drawn from an international cast of humorists and pundits, ranging from Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Oscar Wilde to Groucho Marx, Monty Python, and Lenny Bruce.
Arranging these quotes under more than 200 headings, from Actors and Acting (including Dorothy Parker's famous barb on Katherine Hepburn's Broadway debut, "She ran the whole gamut of the emotions from A to B") to Youth (such as Fran Lebowitz's wry comment: "Remember that as a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you"), Sherrin collected the sharpest, the wittiest, the wryest in quips, put-downs, and one-liners. Now packed with even more quotes and covering more subjects than ever before, from Weddings to the Supernatural, Australia to Headlines, the book ranges from President Bush's "They misunderestimated me"; to James Agee's caustic review "Several tons of dynamite are set off in this picture, none of it under the right people"; to Jay Leno's comment when asked if the U.S. should draft a Constitution for Iraq: "We might as well give them ours. We aren't using it." The Dictionary also includes an index of authors, so you can track your favorite humorist throughout the book, and an index of keywords.
With quotations courtesy of comedians and playwrights, novelists and producers, cartoonists and moguls, soldiers and lawyers, and displaying all shades of humor, from dry to sly, subtle to wacky, and even unintended, the Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations will be the perfect resource for public speakers, writers, and anyone else who enjoys a sparkling line, a clever pun, or a wickedly clever riposte.Amazon.com Review
Some may search quotation compilations for wisdom orinspiration, but most crack these reference tomes looking for alaugh. Ned Sherrin has therefore done the world a favor by culling thewitticisms and snide remarks from the vast quotation libraries,creating a volume completely dedicated to the funny remark. It'ssuperbly browsable, but as the nearly 5,000 quotations are grouped bymore than 100 themes, it's also a reference with practicalapplications. For a quip on consumerism, George Orwell comes throughwith, "Advertising is the rattling of a stick inside a swillbucket." Dean Martin opines about liquor: "You're not drunkif you can lie on the floor without holding on." Ronald Knoxdefines a baby as "a loud noise on one end and no sense ofresponsibility on the other," and for politics, Art Buchwald saysof Richard Nixon, "I worship the quicksand he walks in."It's an irresistible dictionary. --Stephanie Gold ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Good but not great
I am supposed that it is probably impossible to compile a "complete" humorous quotations reference. I have collected a number in my pursuit of the `ultimate' compilation and I am still waiting. This Oxford edition is good, but not great. The ability to quickly access a cogent quip to ones immediate need remains a hunt and peck affair.

At $30, it is expensive relative to other compilations.

When you need a great quip that fits the occasion ...look here!

This is a treasure trove of humor for all occasions. There are many books of quotations from all kinds of people and for all occasions and topics; but here the book keeps to what is humorous.It is a great source to have handy; but it also makes for wonderful light hearted reading ,just to start at the front and to keep going.It is organized several ways so that a quote on a subject or by personality is easy to find. It was published in Britain so has a lot of lines that are new over here.
Here are a couple I enjoyed;

On being told that his fly buttons were undone,Winston Churchill commented;"No matter,dead birds do not leave the nest."

To her husband a chicken farmer in California,after a flash flood had wiped out his entire flock. "I told you to stick to ducks."

"Oh what a wonderous bird is the Pelican!
His beak holds more than his belican.
He takes in his beak,food enough for a week,
But I'll be damned if I know the helican."

"I opened it at page 96--the secret page,on which I
wrote my name to catch out borrowers and book sharks."
Flan O'Brien

It'd be hard to find a better book of humorous quotes.

Useful (and funny) reference for all
Collection of witty, funny, sarcastic or apprantely innocent quotations from famous and not so famous people.

Book is well organized. Quotations are divided into categories. These categories are given in alphabetical order starting from 'Actors and Acting, 'Advertising' to 'Writers and Writing' and 'Youth'. Surprisingly there is no topic with Z! You may also find some every interesting categories. Just to give you an idea there are quotations on 'Quotations', 'Insults and Invective' and 'Censorship'.

For every quotation there is, along with the author name, a brief description of where and when was it said/used and in some cases why was it used. That adds to the meaning of the quote.

Such as why Winston Churchill said 'And they say the old man's getting deaf as well'.

At the end of book, apart from the keywork index, there is also an author index, in case you need quotes from a particular person.

A useful book for adding spice to your speech and writing or just skim through it for literally pleasure.

Just to quote an example from the book: 'I know heaps of quotations, so I can always make quite a fair show of knowledge' -- O. Douglas

An Excellent Resource, And A Great Read Too
A fantastic book of quotations, and the most comprehensive collection of humorous quotes I've yet to come across.The organization is excellent, with an adequate list of themes serving as the table of contents.Further aiding discovery of the perfect quote is an index of authors/sources, and a very well developed keyword index.Both of these supplemental indices are a bit confusing, but not overly so.They list the applicable theme and the numbered entry under that theme; there are no page numbers given.It's a bit confusing on the first few uses, after that it is simple.

The book is a fun, quick read as well, dense (with its relatively small print) with goodies from John Updike, Cheryl Tiegs, Henry Kissinger, Frank Zappa, George Foreman, P. J. O'Rourke, etc.I heartily recommend it.

A Great Quote Book
This book was great.I loved every quote.It had a lot of excellent ideas.I will make you laugh and teach you life leason's at the same time.One of my friends loaned it to me and I had to go out and get my own.Ifyou like quotes then you will love this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Here are more than 7,000 quotations, ranging from the wisdom of the Bible, Shakespeare, and the great philosophers to the more modern meditations of Bono, J. K. Rowling, and George W. Bush. There is Yogi Berra's immortal "The future ain't what it used to be," Robert Louis Stevenson's "Wine is bottled poetry," and Lao Tzu's "A good traveler has no fixed plans." Arranged thematically for ease of use, the volume covers more than 600 subjects, from Beauty and Baseball to Patriotism, Power, and The Past. Themes new to this edition include Babies, Birthdays, Nine-Eleven, Retirement, and Toasts. Also new to this edition are an increased number of contemporary and motivational quotations, a full index allowing readers to search the text by author as well as theme, and an improved layout to make using this book easier than ever. From literature to the law, music to the movies, readers will find an abundance of classic quotes and little known gems to enliven their speeches, conversation, reports and correspondence. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Skillful Editing Makes All the Difference
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations by Subject (Oxford Paperback Reference) is a handy, compact resource to have around. I think it is far superior to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of Quotations, which I have been using up until this point.

CONTENT
------------
The entries are arranged alphabetically by subject. Whenever possible, the name of the author, their dates, their significance, the title of the source, and the date of the quotation are given. For example, the fourth quotation under "education" is "Go to the pine if you want to learn about the pine" Matsuo Basho 1644-94 Japanese poet: Nobuyuki Yuasa (ed.) Basho. The Narrow Road to the Deep North (1966) Introduction.

WHY DO I PREFER IT OVER MERRIAM-WEBSTER?
---------------------
It draws on sources from several traditions (not enough for my taste, but better than most). I think this was a very good choice for an audience that is becoming increasingly familiar with various cultures. In contrast, the content of the Merriam-Webster dictionary is taken almost entirely from the Western one.

It not only gives you the author's name, but enough information to understand roughly when the entry was written, and even the source, so you can actually track down the quotation yourself. Finally, an editor of a general work did not dumb it down and carefully recorded the sources to empower us. Merriam-Webster's only tells you the author and source. If you do not recognize the name, you have no idea when it was written, where, and what the author's significance is.

The content is up to date. Entries in other dictionaries tend to all have come from before I was born. I have found some quotations from as recently as two years ago in this book. Of course, there is nothing at all wrong with old, but I think it is better to have a good mix. Merriam-Webster's dictionary was published nearly two decades ago, and because the editors focused on dead white men, it isn't even useful for quotations from the 80s and 90s.

It is inexpensive (paperback). Although Merriam-Webster's costs even less, I think you get more for your money with this one.

DRAWBACKS
---------------------
It is somewhat larger than Merriam-Webster's. There is a lot of dead space in the book, and they could have easily printed it smaller if they had wanted to.

The Bible quotations are strangely lacking information. Why only put "Bible: St. Matthew"? Personally, I'd like to know exactly where to find it. Merriam-Webster's provides this.

SUMMARY
---------------------
This is a very well-edited volume that far exceeded my expectations for a general dictionary of quotations. I highly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1997, The Book of Positive Quotations has sold more than 200,000 combined trade copies. This new edition has been expanded to include 3,000 new quotations (10,000 total) from 1,300 additional authors. One of four books in Fairview Press' popular Positive Quotation series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Exactly what I wanted
This book is just what I was looking for. To start, the book is pretty big, and each page is filled usually with three columns of quotes. The book is well divided with each section labeled clearly. In each section, they also continue to break down the quotes. For example is you go to "fear" you will noticed it group like "dealing with fear" "How fear affects others". All in all I think the book is very well put together. The quality of the quotes is also impressive. From figures that go back centuries to modern day people. The only small complaint I have is some quotes are repeated. For example if a quote can apply to two different categories. But despite this the book is still well varied. I highly recommend for anyone looking for a book of inspirational quotes. I love it.

Enormous Collection!
This is a great large quote book!Over 700 pages filled with quotes, I would rank it as one of my favorite large quote books on the market.It is very well-organized by category, and you will really enjoy it!This is a good one to share with your friends and family.

Enjoy!

Todd Hagopian
President/CEO
Hagopian Institute
Author of the popular "Quote Junkie" book sereies and the brand new "Idiom Junkie" series

Scrapbookers
I bought this book after seeing a recommendation in one of my scrapbook magazines on using quotations.This book wasn't as helpful (or interesting) as I had hoped.

Great Quotes!
I have been looking for a book of good quotations for the inside of greeting cards for a while.My first try was The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Card: Prose-sentiments-poems-expressions followed by The Ultimate Guide to the Perfect Word: Quotes - Titles - Poetry - Tips - Words.Neither of the previous two books was quite scholarly enough for me.This one is.It not only includes over 10,000 entries, but those entries are from historical people who have shaped our world rather than from the author or a current celebrity.Naturally, many of the quotes are much longer than would fit in a greeting card, but most seem to be a short paragraph or less.I am truly thrilled with this book of Positive Quotations!

Positive Quotations review
This product was delivered to me in a timely fashion and in the condition in which it was states it would be. ... Read more

Product Description
FROM THE WORLDS OF BUSINESS, POLITICS, HISTORY, LITERATURE, ENTERTAINMENT, AND MORE . . .

"Think how much happier women would be if, instead of endlessly fretting about what the males in their lives are thinking, they could relax, secure in the knowledge that the correct answer is: very little."
--DAVE BARRY

"I'd tell you what I really thought about the national media, but as my good friend Dana Carvey would say, 'Wouldn't be prudent. Not gonna do it.' "
--GEORGE BUSH

"We must believe in luck. For how else can we explain the success of those we don't like?"
--JEAN COCTEAU

"Don't find fault. Find a remedy."
--HENRY FORD

"Peace is more precious than a piece of land."
--ANWAR SADAT

"People who read tabloids deserve to be lied to."
--JERRY SEINFELD

"Patriotism is not a short and frenzied outburst of emotion but the tranquil and steady dedication of lifetime."
--ADLAI STEVENSON
... Read more

Product Description
This collection of remarkable quotations is a gem of discerning wisdom, lovely thoughts, and astute wit gleaned from the words of African-American Writers, including Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, Toni Cade Bambara, Amiri Baraka, Mary McLeod Bethune, Arna Bontemps, Gwendolyn Brooks, William Wells Brown, Octavia E. Butler, Stokely Carmichael, Stephen L. Carter, Charles W. Chesnutt, Eldridge Cleaver, Lucille Clifton, Anna J. Cooper, Bill Cosby, Stanley Crouch, Countee Cullen, Edwidge Danticat, Angela Davis, Sarah L. Delany, Frederick Douglass, Rita Dove, W.E.B. DuBois, Paul Laurence Dunbar, Ralph Ellison, Mari Evans, Ernest Gaines, Marcus Garvey, Nikki Giovanni, Dick Gregory, Angelina Weld Grimke, Alex Haley, Virginia Hamilton, Henry Hampton, Lorraine Hansberry, Billie Holiday, Bell Hooks, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Jacobs, Joseph Jarman, Georgia Douglas Johnson, James Weldon Johnson, June Jordan, Elizabeth Keckley, Martin Luther King, Jr., Audre Lorde, Malcolm X, Paule Marshall, Thurgood Marshall, Claude McKay, Terry McMillan, Toni Morrison, Walter Mosley, Thylias Moss, Gloria Naylor, Ann Plato, Ishmael Reed, Al Roker, Thomas Sowell, Anne Spencer, Jean Toomer, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Henry Van Dyke, Alice Walker, Margaret Walker, Booker T. Washington, Cornel West, Dorothy West, August Wilson, Richard Wright,and Frank Yerby.


... Read more

Product Description
The Celts were one of the great founding civilizations of Europe and the first North European people to emerge into recorded history, producing a vibrant labyrinth of mythological tales and sagas that have influenced the literary traditions of Europe and the world.

The first A-Z reference of its kind, Dictionary of Celtic Mythology is fascinating and accessible guide to the gods and goddesses, the heroes and heroines, the magical weapons, fabulous beasts, and otherworld entities that populate the myths of this rich European culture. Like A Dictionary of Irish Mythology before it, this is a who's who and what's what of the epic Celtic sagas and tales. Predated only by Greek and Latin by virtue of the fact that the Celtic languages were not written until the early Christian era, Celtic mythology is a development from a far earlier oral tradition containing voices from the dawn of European civilization. The peoples of these Celtic cultures survive today on the western seaboard of Europe--the Irish, Manx, and Scots, who make up the Goidelic- (or Gaelic) speaking branch of Celts, and the Welsh, Cornish, and Brentons, who represent the Brythonic-speaking branch. And it is in these languages that their vibrant and fascinating mythology has been recorded and appreciated throughout the world. In his introduction, Ellis discusses the roles of these six cultures, the evolution (or demise) of the languages, and the relationship between the legends, especially the Irish and Welsh, the two major Celtic cultures. From Celtic legends have come not only the stories of Cuchulainn and Fionn MacCumhail, of Deidre of the Sorrows and the capricious Grainne, but the stories of the now world-famous Arthur, and the romantic tragedy of Tristan and Iseult.

An easy-to-read handbook, The Dictionary of Celtic Mythology presents a fascinating window to centuries of rich oral and written tradtion from the mists of Europe's origins. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

I highly recommend this book!
If you are into Celtic Mythology than this book is a must to add! It covers alot & is enjoyable to read as well!

Good Resource
I have found this to be a very useful little book.Entries include not only ones of legendary interest, but of Celtic interest in general-entries for ancient Celtic kingdoms (e.g. Galatia) and cultural or spiritual attributes (e.g. Fasting).It is one of those concise, at-a-glance, pull-it-out-of-your-pocket type books that can come in handy when reading Irish folktales, or even if you are just bored and feel like flipping through a book.It focuses primarily on the mythology of Eire and Cymry, but also gives Scottish, Pictish, Cornish, Manx, Breton, Gaulish, Celt-Iberian, and Galatian topics some attention, including a brief list of major Gaulish gods and major Celtic holidays, and a substantial biblography.Again, a very useful book, highly recommended for anyone finding Celtic folklore, or the Celts in general interesting.

Not Recommended
Like many of P.B. Ellis' books, this volume is not as accurate as it seems. The linguistic information, in particular, is unreliable. For a few more dollars, you can have the much more reliable and more comprehensive _Dictionary of Celtic Mythology_ edited by James Mac Killop. It's worth the extra investment, no matter how strict your budget.

Highly recommended
This is a very useful reference book for anyone studying Celtic mythology. It is comprehensive and its readability is enhanced by the clear and uncluttered design. Entries vary from names ("Manannan Mac Lir")to topics ("Ard Ri"), and provide succinct yet clear descriptionsand histories. However, it is clear that choices have been made where spacewas limited or excessive material would detract from the readability. Thisis most notable in cases where the book says, "There are no fewer thanseven persons of this name in Celtic mythology. However, the most notableis ...".Yet despite this minor shortcoming, this is one of the booksI reach for first when I need to look up the details of some obscure Irishhero or monster.

All in all, this is an excellent book for getting abasic idea before embarking on a more detailed investigation. ... Read more

Product Description
It was never easier to find wise, witty, though-provoking quotations.  The pocket-sized refernece work puts an exiting variety of signifigant quotations in an easy-to-find form.  Chosen to provide the widest possible selection of topics and range of quotations, the 4,800 entreis vary from provacative to inspirational, from serious to witty to humorous.  For public speakers, writers, clergymen, businessmen, or anyone who enjoys the well-spoken thought, this compact, accessible work is filled with wonderful quotations to use or just to enjoy.  Lightweight and portable, quotations from the Talmud, The Bible, American presidents, famous authors, world leaders, philosophers, and more.  Alphabetically arranged by subject heading, author index and subject index, fully cross-referenced to help locate additional quotations, easy-to-use-format. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

I Use this Quotation Dictionary for Speaking Engagements

The reason why I use the Laurel Instant Quotation Dictionary is primarily because it's"

Handy
Alphabetically arranged
Easy to Carry Easy to use
Very well organized
Enough reference ideas including inspirational words from the Talmud, World Leaders, Authors and The Bible.

I don't care how many times I have to stand in front of a class of graduating Seniors, a hungry crowd of educated business men and women or a small group of CEO's and speak using references that are relevant it's always easier when I can quote someone from my instant Quotation Dictionary.

All wise people quote somebody and I'm not sure if my Daddy use to say that.But I thank GOD for my Dad because he use to always send us to the dictionary when we didn't know how to spell something.I'm sure he would approve of The Laurel Instant Qutotation Dictionary.

Always an inspiration!
I always use one or two statements from this little handy book, to inspire or encourage my colleagues and or friends. Now, a friend of mine wanted to buy it, I think I have to buy one and airmail it to her in Israel. ... Read more

Product Description
Quotations have exercised a particular fascination for humanity since the birth of recorded language and their potency in the age of the soundbite is stronger than ever.We revel in quotations, compete to know them, love them, hate them and inscribe them in books and on buildings, and this freshly revised and updated dictionary includes a wealth of new material among its 13,000 familiar, serious, outrageous, witty and thought-provoking entries.
The Wordsworth Dictionary of Quotations is an essential work of reference for every writer, journalist and speech-maker, as well as being a treasure-trove for the browser and the simply curious. From the Roman poet Ovid's observation that 'Judgement of beauty can er, what with the wine and the dark' to Oscar Wilde's that 'Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes', there is a wide diversity of sayings to add spice to our conversation and enrich our daily lives. The book is alphabetically arranged by author and indexed by keyword for ease of use. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
Taken from sources as diverse as Diana, Princess of Wales to the Bible, this guide contains over 1000 quotations to heighten or illustrate any speech. The guide is arranged into over 200 themes plus name and keyword searches which make it accessible and easy-to-use. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process.We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide.We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Scribner and Welford in 1890 in 459 pages; Subjects: Philosophy / Reference; ... Read more