etymological unconvetional catch-phrases colloquialisms

books:

1 review
Eric Partridge

Routledge, 1986

Useful for advanced learners of English as a 2nd language
Typical Partridge : many translations of filmscripts into Spanish, TV soaps, etc, would have been better if they had consulted this one. Americans might find treatment of US catch phrases, or even their definition, irritating, as the basic point of view is British, albeit open-minded.

A Dictionary of Catch Phrases: American and British, from the Sixteenth Century to the Present Day

1 review
Eric Partridge

Scarborough House Publishers, 1992

A page turner
Perhaps most readers don't think of a "Dictionary" as a page turner, but this volume should come w/ a warning: if you open this during some sort of serious scholarly pursuit, you WILL be distracted. As an editor, Paul Bell has picked up not merely where Eric Partridge left off, but w/ the same lively tone that Partridge is famous for. Eric Partridge must surely have been the most delightful ...

Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English

1 review
Eric Partridge

W. W. Norton & Company, 1997

Always a great book to dip
I have a very old copy of this book. This particular purchase was made for a friend in Spain who is interested in the finer points of English. I told her that Partridge was the authority and that he made for very entertaining reading as well. The book is rife with such Edwardian style quips as one that describes one usage as an extremely low banality. A few pages with Partridge and you will ...

Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English: Colloquialisms, and Catch-Phrases, Solecisms and Catachresis, ...

1 review
Eric Partridge

MacMillan Publishing Company, 1985

Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English by Partridge
This is an excellent reference work for readers of colloquial English. It would be perfect for books like Captains Courageous or The Yearling. The author provides a lexicographical foundation. Common phrases are: - to jigget (fidget) - chalk a talk is a teacher - saucy jack is an important fellow The acqusition is well worth the price for professional proofreaders, writers, editors and ...

A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (Dictionary of Slang and Unconvetional English)

2 reviews
Eric Partridge

Routledge, 2002

The most entertaining of dictionaries
Both informative and fun to read, the Dictionary contains both definitions and word history for ALL levels of colloquial English. Unlike other dictionaries of the sort, it includes even words that were colloquial or slang once. Before I read it I didn't realise that history of words could be so entertaining. E. Partridge has presented a hoard of entertaining information in an entertaining way. ...

Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English

5 reviews
Eric Partridge

Routledge, 2008

Simply the best
If you have any interest at all in English etymology, you MUST HAVE THIS BOOK. Beg, borrow, bid, phone every used bookstore you can find -- do anything to get a copy of this book. This book is so good that when I came across a copy of it and skimmed it, all I could do was look back with new regret at the years I'd spent using other works I could now recognize as inferior. This is simply ...

Usage and Abusage (Penguin Reference Books)

1 review
Eric Partridge, Janet Whitcut

Penguin UK, 1999

Is this sentence correct?
Indespensible for anyone who wishes to write clearly and elegantly. But, in this age of email one has to wonder does anyone really care?

Shakespeare's Bawdy (Routledge Classics)

5 reviews
Eric Partridge

Routledge, 2001

Still a classic of its kind, though showing its age
Modern well-annotated editions of Shakespeare (like those in the New Cambridge, Oxford, or Arden series) often explain bawdy usages in Shakespeare which today's reader cannot - yet should - understand. Even so, this area is still often comparatively weak in current commentaries, and this classic provides a great deal of help to the reader who wishes to know more. For a reader who does not use ...

You Have a Point There: A Guide to Punctuation and Its Allies
Eric Partridge

Routledge, 1978

This standard work on punctuation has long been judged the foremost study of the subject. It reveals punctuation to be both an indispensable craft and an invaluable art - a friend not an enemy.

Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English
Eric Partridge

barnes & Noble (2006=), 2006

Dictionary of the Underworld (Wordsworth Collection)

2 reviews
Eric Partridge

NTC/Contemporary Publishing Company, 1998

FOOT LOOSE AND FANCY FREE!
I read this book many, many years ago and have always wanted to obtain my own copy, and to read it again. I found this book to be UTTERLY FASCINATING...., interesting and a good giggle in places. The author clearly knows his subject, and one learns, for instance, the mystery behind Cinderella's glass slipper. It is NOT only a book for people with foot fetishes. It's a great read and I ...

A Short Etymological Dictionary Of Modern English Origins
Eric Partridge

Macmillan Company, 1959

The Concise Usage and Abusage
Eric Partridge

Philosophical Library, 1955

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