The Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases

by Anna Farkas (Compiler)

Have you ever considered how a single line from a movie or a television advertisement spreads to become a ubiquitously popular expression? Do you know the origin of such phrases as "keeping up with the Joneses" and "a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do"? Are you often stumped when trying to
remember the source of a line from a movie or an advertising slogan?
The Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases is the answer to the frequently asked questions "What's that from?" and "Who said that?" and offers a lively exploration of the history and usage of these common and timeless expressions. From "you talkin' to me?" to "melts in your mouth, not in your hand" to
"see you later, alligator," this entertaining book provides a comprehensive selection of our best-loved catchphrases, paying homage to the human nature of adopting a common bond through language. A special Source Information section gives a background description of the shows, films, or books that
are cited often, and a Source Index allows readers to look up entries from a particular source.
With the most up-to-date entries, The Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases offers an intriguing and fun tour of common language and is ideal for armchair linguists as well as all film, television, and popular culture junkies.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Mike Glaser]

An interesting collection that is focused on the second half of the twentieth century although some the phrases do date back to an earlier time. The emphasis is on phrases from Great Britain and it is interesting that a number of the ones attributed to individuals from the United States show the editor’s lack of familiarity with American TV. Still worth your time if you are interested in the subject.

[Yusi Asnidar]

Wow! Uber cool!