The Oxford English Dictionary is the internationally recognized authority on the evolution of the English language from 1150 to the present day. The Dictionary defines over 500,000 words, making it an unsurpassed guide to the meaning, pronunciation, and history of the English language. This new upgrade version of The Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM offers unparalleled access to the world's most important reference work for the English language. The text of this version has been augmented with the inclusion of the Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series (Volumes 1-3), published in 1993 and 1997, the Bibliography to the Second Edition, and other ancillary material. System requirements: PC with minimum 200 MHz Pentium-class processor; 32 MB RAM (64 MB recommended); 16-speed CD-ROM drive (32-speed recommended); Windows 95, 98, Me, NT, 200, or XP (Local administrator rights are required to install and open the OED for the first time on a PC running Windows NT 4 and to install and run the OED on Windows 2000 and XP); 1.1 GB hard disk space to run the OED from the CD-ROM and 1.7 GB to install the CD-ROM to the hard disk: SVGA monitor: 800 x 600 pixels: 16-bit (64k, high color) setting recommended. Please note: for the upgrade, installation requires the use of the OED CD-ROM v2.0.

Provides entries for over 315,000 words and phrases, and includes a list of new words.

Americans have a gift for coining proverbs. "A picture is worth a thousand words" was not, as you might imagine, the product of ancient Chinese wisdom -- it was actually minted by advertising executive Fred Barnard in a 1921 advertisement for Printer's Ink magazine. After all, Americans are first and foremost a practical people and proverbs can be loosely defined as pithy statements that are generally accepted as true and useful. The next logical step would be to gather all of this wisdom together for a truly American celebration of shrewd advice.A Dictionary of American Proverbs is the first major collection of proverbs in the English language based on oral sources rather than written ones. Listed alphabetically according to their most significant key word, it features over 15,000 entries including uniquely American proverbs that have never before been recorded, as well as thousands of traditional proverbs that have found their way into American speech from classical, biblical, British, continental European, and American literature. Based on the fieldwork conducted over thirty years by the American Dialect Society, this volume is complete with historical references to the earliest written sources, and supplies variants and recorded geographical distribution after each proverb.Many surprised await the reader in this vast treasure trove of wit and wisdom. Collected here are nuggets of popular wisdom on all aspects of American life: weather, agriculture, travel, money, business, food, neighbors, friends, manners, government, politics, law, health, education, religion, music, song, and dance. And, to further enhance browsing pleasure, the editors have provided a detailed guide to the use of the work. While it's true that many of our best known proverbs have been supplied by the ever-present "Anonymous," many more can be attributed to some very famous Americans, like Ernest Hemingway, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin, Mark Twain, J. Pierpont Morgan, Thomas Alva Edison, Abigail Adams, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, to name but a few offered in this fascinating collection.Who wouldn't want to know the origin of "the opera ain't over till the fat lady sings?" This uniquely American proverb and many more are gathered together in A Dictionary of American Proverbs. A great resource for students and scholars of literature, psychology, folklore, linguistics, anthropology, and cultural history, this endlessly intriguing volume is also a delightful companion for anyone with an interest in American culture.

New edition! A handy, reliable, and authoritative dictionary of words most frequently used in Englis. More than 75,000 definitions, 2,000 new word entries, and more than 150 illustrations. Expanded special features include a Handbook of Style, Basic English Grammar, Irregular English Verbs and a Guid eto Common Verb Collocations (both essential for ESL), and a new Overview of the Internet.

New in Paper! Featuring an introduction by megabestselling author Terry Brooks, The Writer's Complete Fantasy Reference is an A to Z coverage of the realm of the fantastic, offering writers of science fiction , fantasy, horror and historical fiction vivid and detailed descriptions of the legendary humans, animals, societies and religions that make this genre exciting and imaginative. Using comprehensive lists, charts, illustrations, and timelines, writers can access complete information on: pagan orders, secret societies, witchcraft and magic; profiles of ancient European, South American and Far Eastern civilizations; medieval trades, occupations, laws and punishments; dragons, kelpies, naiads and other creatures of myth and fantasy; legendary races, including elves, dwarfs, giants and more; a detailed "anatomy of a castle," describing the forms and functions of everything from barbicans to trebuchets. This one-of-a-kind guide also offers advice on style and structure, with tips on how to weave these elements into a narrative that is compelling, fresh and wildly fantastic. The perfect reference for fans of the increasingly popular fantasy genre. Includes an introduction by Terry Brooks, author of the #1 national bestseller Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. s an introduction by Terry Brooks, author of the #1 national bestseller Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.