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Rating: 
Summary: Simply fable-ous
Review: A must-have reference book for every shelf. Contains answers to the most arcane questions you might ask - be they profound or prosaic. Entries range from the derivation of well-known colloquial phrases to lengthy entries on figures from mythology, as well as origins of superstitions and beliefs. First published, we are told on the dust jacket, in 1870. Why is Britain sometimes called Albion? A possible explanation is found here. What was the Cliveden set? Perfect for trivia lovers, as well as a seriously useful work for students and scholars. * Fable - from latin fabula 'narrative story'
Rating:
Summary: Not Just a Reference Book - Just Read It!
Review: Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable is, without question, a wonderful reference book. All reviews agree that it's unique in scope and content. Read the other reviews for details. I can't really add anything there. But interestingly, no one focuses on what a great read this book is. I love it because I can just pick it up, open the book to any page at random, and instantly lose myself in the contents of the pages. It's delightful in that you never know what you'll learn (but you always learn something interesting), and you can read as much or as little as you wish, depending on your time or interest. Later on, you can pick up where you left off, or just flip the pages to some other random place in the book We jokingly refer to it as the world's best "bathroom book." So, by all means use it as a reference, but don't stop there - read it!
Rating:
Summary: Totally absorbing and enchanting
Review: I never thought I'd describe a reference book as unputdownable, but once you open this book to look one thing up (say, a peculiar expression that someone has just said, "Now why *do* we say that?" about), you'll find yourself reading all the entries in sight! Very useful for anyone with an interest in literature, history, or language and great fun to use, with a distinctly tongue-in-cheek feel to it (the hilarious section on "Famous Last Words", for instance). It makes a really lovely present for young and old: it looks suitably impressive, has fairly universal appeal provided they're a fan of the written word, and is far livelier than the standard reference books that get trotted out on Important Occasions. I have given this to my best friend, my step-dad, and a second cousin who has just come of age; the latter (aged 13) hasn't been heard from yet (we calculated that there's a pretty good chance he's going to read it, unlike most of the books he's bound to have received), but the other two have adored it, and friends who have been introduced to my copy usually end up spending a good hour leafing through it. A huge number of phrases, expressions, and characters from myth, history and literature are there, but I still want to know where the word "codswallop" comes from...
Rating:
Summary: Totally absorbing and enchanting
Review: I never thought I'd describe a reference book as unputdownable, but once you open this book to look one thing up (say, a peculiar expression that someone has just said, "Now why *do* we say that?" about), you'll find yourself reading all the entries in sight! Very useful for anyone with an interest in literature, history, or language and great fun to use, with a distinctly tongue-in-cheek feel to it (the hilarious section on "Famous Last Words", for instance). It makes a really lovely present for young and old: it looks suitably impressive, has fairly universal appeal provided they're a fan of the written word, and is far livelier than the standard reference books that get trotted out on Important Occasions. I have given this to my best friend, my step-dad, and a second cousin who has just come of age; the latter (aged 13) hasn't been heard from yet (we calculated that there's a pretty good chance he's going to read it, unlike most of the books he's bound to have received), but the other two have adored it, and friends who have been introduced to my copy usually end up spending a good hour leafing through it. A huge number of phrases, expressions, and characters from myth, history and literature are there, but I still want to know where the word "codswallop" comes from...
Rating: 
Summary: A great collection of the obscure
Review: I'd have given this book five stars if it had been written for American audiences. Its full of english words and phrases, but a lot of them originated in Britain after the revolution, so did not make it across the Atlantic. Even so, this is an excellent reference, explaining the origins of words and phrases we are so accustomed to hearing that we rarely stop to wonder why they are used. I got a copy for myself, and then another as a gift for a trivia-loving sister-in-law.
Rating:
Summary: A great collection of the obscure
Review: I'd have given this book five stars if it had been written for American audiences. Its full of english words and phrases, but a lot of them originated in Britain after the revolution, so did not make it across the Atlantic. Even so, this is an excellent reference, explaining the origins of words and phrases we are so accustomed to hearing that we rarely stop to wonder why they are used. I got a copy for myself, and then another as a gift for a trivia-loving sister-in-law.
Rating:
Summary: Just Indispensable
Review: This book is simply one of the best dictionaries of its kind ever to have been published, and, I might add, Brewer's work has already become a classic. It contains a wealth of entries from divers areas, including mythology, history, classics, language, as well as common sayings, phrases and legends. Useful as a reference though it is, this dictionary is eminently suited to a casual browse, which one will invariably find interesting, entertaining and edifying, containing many obscure tidbits of trivia that catches one's eyes. This edition, unfortunately, omits a few entries that were present in previous editions, and this is a sad loss, but, all in all, the book is worth every penny, and is a valuable reference on anyone's bookshelf, especially to those with literary pretensions.
Rating:
Summary: For my Desert Island....
Review: What a book!!! Imagine a dictionary + thesaurus + encyclopedia, all binded together with alphabetically listed topics (sublime,sacred,profane,outrageous,obscure,eldritch,et al) which cross-reference each other through (seemingly) never-ending threads of association,relativity and/or conspiracy!!!
You can start with one subject and find yourself time-traveling through history and mythology...touching on a plethora of events, peoples, places, philosophies and diverse arcana from time immemorial.
I have thouroughly read (and re-read) a much earlier edition(11th) until my pages started falling out. As soon as I get the $$ I'm gonna buy this 16th edition and begin my adventures again.
Highly recommended for those who love this Universe and the multitude of histories intwined.
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