The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase & Fable explains the origins of the familiar and the unfamiliar in everyday speech and literature, including the colloquial and the proverbial, and embracing archaeology, history, religion, the arts, science, mythology, and characters from fiction. This invaluable dictionary, which revises and updates the original work of Dr Ebenezer Cobham Brewer, encompasses material from all over the English speaking world and cites many equivalents from other European countries. The inclusion of quotations which accompany and illustrate many of the entries adds hugely to the value of this legendary work of reference.