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First published in 1870, this 'museum of literary odds and ends'
was condensed from material in a manuscript that was thrice the
size of the finished book. At the end of his life, Ebenezer Cobham
Brewer (1810 97) substantially revised and updated the Dictionary
in 1895 and it has appeared in new versions ever since. Reissued
here in its first edition, the work reflects Brewer's distinct
style and draws on a lifetime's reading. Elucidating the etymology
of some 20,000 unusual and everyday words and phrases, the
collection touches on diverse subjects ranging from history and
literature to mythology and magic. Brewer's charming preface
describes the book as an 'alms-basket of words' and promises to
examine terms such as 'killed with kindness' and 'kettle of fish'.
Readers will be enlightened as to the original meaning of familiar
and unfamiliar phrases, many of which have fallen out of use yet
testify to the richness of an evolving language."
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