The Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs (Facts on File Writer's Library)

Completely updated and expanded, The Facts On File Dictionary of Proverbs, Second Edition includes more than 1,700 English-language proverbs that are widely recognized today--with more than 200 new to this edition. Arranged alphabetically, entries provide the meaning of each proverb, the date it was first recorded, variant forms, other proverbs that are similar and opposite to it in meaning, and examples of the proverb's use. This second edition has been expanded to include more familiar, long-established proverbs (such as "Call a spade a spade" and "It takes one to know one") as well as more modern ones (such as "You snooze, you lose" and "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus"). Existing entries have been updated to include modern variants (such as "The geek shall inherit the earth," a variant of "The meek shall inherit the earth"). This fascinating dictionary offers insight into this unique aspect of our language.