Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

Fifth Edition

Edited by Susan Ratcliffe

4,000 of the best quotations of past and present
Special words for any special occasion: snappy one-liners and the world's greatest ideas
Over 300 themes - from Fashion to Philosophy, Censorship to Sex
New themes: Africa, Facts, Honesty, India, Insight, Kissing, Persistence, Wisdom, Wit
New quotes: over 60 including: 'Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.' Muhammad Ali; 'Of all animals the boy is the most unmanageable.' Aristotle; 'Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.' Beethoven; 'Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.' St Catherine of Siena; 'The value of an idea lies in the using of it.' Edison; 'The essence of pleasure is spontaneity.' Germaine Greer; 'God is the breath of all breath.' Kabir; 'If we wait for the moment when everything, absolutely everything, is ready, we shall never begin.' Turgenev

New to this Edition:

Over 400 quotes new to this edition

Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

Fifth Edition

Edited by Susan Ratcliffe

Description

"Life is either a daring adventure or it is nothing." "The fool wonders, the wise man asks." "Comedy is tragedy plus time." "Friends are the sunshine of life." It is hard to imagine a more convenient reference--and a more engaging book to browse in--than The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations. Here at your fingertips are over 4,000 of the best things ever said on more than 300 topics. From Actors to Writing by way of America, Children, Cinema, Last Words, Marriage, Politicians, Sex, and Taxes, it only takes a moment to find the perfect witticism, bon mot, or sage adage to suit any occasion.

Full of snappy one-liners and the world's greatest ideas, this stimulating volume ranges from the wisdom of the Bible, Shakespeare, and the great philosophers to the more modern meditations of Bona, 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." 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. And to make this volume even easier to use, a full index allows readers to search the text by author as well as theme.

The fifth edition has many new themes--including Africa, Facts, Honesty, India, Insight, Kissing, Persistence, Wisdom, Wit--and over 400 new quotations. Concise, convenient, authoritative, and affordable, The Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations allows readers to keep a traveling data base of entertainment and information right in their pocket. It's as handy as it is indispensable--the perfect reference for home, school, and office.

Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

Fifth Edition

Edited by Susan Ratcliffe

Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

Fifth Edition

Edited by Susan Ratcliffe

Author Information

Susan Ratcliffe is Associate Editor for Oxford Quotations Dictionaries, and has previously edited the Oxford Treasury of Sayings and Quotations and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

Fifth Edition

Edited by Susan Ratcliffe

From Our Blog

How many of these famous political quotes have you heard before?

The week of the UK general election has finally arrived. After suffering weeks of incessant sound-bites, you will soon be free of political jargon for another few years. Phrases like 'long-term economic plan' have been repeated so often that they have ceased to mean anything. From Margaret Thatcher to Harold Wilson, from Benjamin Disraeli to Winston Churchill, British prime ministers and politicians have uttered phrases that have echoed throughout history. How many of these famous political quotes do you remember?

Posted on May 4, 2015

Read the blog post

Celebrating Victoria Day

Monday, 19 May is Victoria Day in Canada, which celebrates the 195th birthday of Queen Victoria on 24 May 1819. On 20 June 1837, at the age of 18, Queen Victoria took the throne as Monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, as the Empire was called at that point.

Posted on May 19, 2014

Read the blog post

Celebrating Scotland: St Andrew's Day

St Andrew, the patron saint of Scotland, is rather a mysterious figure; very little is actually known about his life. Meanwhile, St Andrew's Day, on 30th November, is well-established and widely celebrated by Scots around the world. The bestselling Oxford Dictionary of Quotations and the Little Oxford Dictionary of Quotations include quotes from a wide-range of people, on an even wider-range of subjects. Here are some contributions from some of Scotland's most treasured wordsmiths.

Posted on November 30, 2012

Read the blog post