Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

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Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable — sometimes referred to simply as Brewer's — is a reference work containing definitions and explanations of many famous phrases, allusions and figures, whether historical or mythical.

a copy of the millennium edition of the dictionary

Originally published in 1870 by the Reverend E. Cobham Brewer, it was aimed at the growing number of people who did not have a university education, but wanted to understand the origins of phrases and historical or literary allusions. The 'phrase' part of the title refers mainly to the explanation of various idioms and proverbs, while the 'fable' part might more accurately be labelled 'folklore' and ranges from classical mythology to relatively recent literature. On top of this, Brewer added notes on important historical figures and events, and other things which he thought would be of interest, such as roman numerals.

Although intended as a comprehensive reference work, early editions of Brewer's are highly idiosyncratic, with certain editorial decisions highly suggestive of the author's personal bias. For instance, a list under the entry for John purported to show the bad luck associated with that name, ending "Certainly a disastrous list of Popes." despite several being described merely as "nonentities." Some entries seem so trivial as to be hardly worth including, and others are almost definitely apocryphal.

Despite this inconsistency, however, the book was a huge success, providing information often not included in more traditional dictionaries and encyclopediae. A revised and updated edition was published in 1896, shortly before Brewer died. Since then, it has been continually revised and reprinted, with the 15th Edition being the first to make truly wide-scale changes to the content. The most recent version is the 17th Edition, published in October 2005, and edited by John Ayto.

Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable, edited by Adrian Room was published between 2000 and 2002, before being combined with the parent volume. However, a new edition is to be published in 2006, also edited by Ayto.

The "Revised and Updated Edition" from the 1890s is now in the public domain, and web-based versions are available from sites such as Bartleby or bootlegbooks.

External links

• Works by Ebenezer Cobham Brewer at Project Gutenberg