The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is an 1100-page book listing short quotations that are common in English language and culture.
This well-known book lists quotations ordered by author surname, giving the original words if it began in a foreign language. It also has a long index by subject, allowing readers to search for a specific remark. This subject index can also be used to find a suitable quotation on any subject. There are, for instance, more than 30 quotations involving fish.
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 book is published by Oxford University Press. The 6th edition appeared in 2004 (ISBN 0-19-860720-2).
