From Booklist
Beginning with abacus and ending with zoot suit, this unique compendium provides definitions for approximately 2,300 terms garnered from a wide range of literary works frequently included in high-school curricula. Snodgrass, author of the Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature and other reference books, used reading lists from the National Council of Teachers of English, ALA, and other sources to identify the 225 titles that serve as the basis for her guide. Ranging from Homer's Iliad to Amy Tan's The Kitchen God's Wife, the "classics" culled for words include novels, short stories, plays, autobiographies, and letters.Each entry explains the meaning of the term as it is used in a particular literary work and summarizes the context in which the word appears. Many entries also indicate pronunciation, and approximately 800 are accompanied by small black-and-white line drawings. Snodgrass provides liberal cross-references from alternate spellings and related and synonymous terms. An index by author, subarranged by title, lists the words taken from each of the literary sources. In addition, a subject index groups terms by broad topical categories, such as clothing, furnishings, and medicine.While the majority of the words included in this dictionary are archaic, arcane, or specialized terms with which many readers will be unfamiliar (e.g., coffle, linstock, solfeggio), one wonders at the number of commonplace terms selected (cocaine, food stamps, vampire). Of even greater concern, however, is the omission of words that most certainly will be foreign to modern readers. For instance, although Snodgrass defines 24 terms from Jane Eyre (among them gingham, heather, and portfolio), she does not provide assistance with lameter, parterre, and vinaigrette. In addition, some of her definitions are sure to baffle rather than enlighten. For example, jewelbox is defined as "a block attached to an eyebolt through which is laced the halyard that keeps a sail fully extended across a yardarm."Due to its spotty coverage, this dictionary cannot substitute for the explanations provided by the various critical editions available for many of the literary works it covers. Furthermore, most of the words defined in this compilation appear in lexicons already in many high-school libraries, such as the World Book Dictionary and the Random House Unabridged Dictionary. However, although this work has a number of idiosyncracies and flaws, its context-specific definitions set it apart from other sources and could be beneficial to teachers and students alike. While it is not a necessary purchase, high-school and public libraries may find it a useful supplement to standard dictionaries.

From Book News, Inc.
A comprehensive alphabetical reference (abacus to zoot suit) that supplies information on archaic or obscure terms in significant literature from the Bible and Shakespeare's plays to The Autobiography of Malcolm X and The Handmaid's Tale. Such terms can elucidate character and reveal history, fashion, and custom. Pronunciation, etymology, alternate spellings, and examples of literary uses are included, as well as some 800 small b&w illustrations. With bibliography, references, and author/title and subject indexes. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Midwest Book Review
An Illustrated Dictionary Of Little-Known Words from Literary Classics is a compendium of terms found in Western classics as well as multicultural literature and works by other nontraditional authors. Words such aspomatum, cheval-glass, nonnette, head rag, palma christi, root doctor, sen-sent, and snow belly are all found alphabetized and defined with historical background or derivation. For example: Insults -- dancy, momzer, ofay, peckerwood, and tosspot. An understanding of such little-known words enables the reader to hear the sound of a virginal, feel the dizzying height of a foretop, or be wept up in the passion of a moochie. These words are peculiar to a specific time or culture, and breathe life into the words of Susan B. Anthony, Samuel Beckett, Ray Bradbury, William Shakespeare, Zora Neale Hurston, and so many others. Entries are alphabetized and cross referenced to allow the reader to quickly return to the classic at hand, although some of the eye-catching and befuddling words may inspire browsing. Pronunciation, literary examples, and alternate spellings are included, alongside over 800 illustrations, a bibliography, and an index. An Illustrated Dictionary Of Little-Known Words from Literary Classics is a "must" for teachers and students of literature, writers, artists, literati, and non-specialist general readers alike!

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In Moby-Dick, nautical terms are pivotal, while Flowers for Algernon hinges on psychological jargon. An Illustrated Dictionary of Little-Known Words from Literary Classics is a compendium of these terms and others encountered in Western classics as well as multi-cultural literature and other works outside the traditional canon. School curricula and reading lists from the American Library Association and the National Council of Teachers of English were used to help choose the works covered, a selection that includes the books likely to be leisure or required reading for today's students. Words such as carcinoma, cenotaph, Grumman, Molotov flower basket, strafe, and tomographic scan - all found and perhaps stumbled over in John Hersey's Hiroshima - are defined and their historical background or derivation given. Entries include architecture: apse, campanile, grotto, peristyle, plinth; dance: czardas, gavotte, juba, moochie, taxi tips; insults: dandy, momzer, ofay, peckerwood, tosspot; supernatural: arch-fiend, cabbala, fakir, gematriya, geomancer; and weights and measures: dram, fee sheet, intercalary month, stone, verst. Entries are alphabetized and cross-referenced to allow the reader to return quickly to the classic at hand, although some of the eyecatching and befuddling words may inspire browsing. This profusely illustrated dictionary will enhance the literary adventures of teachers, students, writers, literati, and literary neophytes alike.

FROM THE CRITICS

BookList

Beginning with "abacus" and ending with "zoot suit", this unique compendium provides definitions for approximately 2,300 terms garnered from a wide range of literary works frequently included in high-school curricula. Snodgrass, author of the "Encyclopedia of Utopian Literature" and other reference books, used reading lists from the National Council of Teachers of English, ALA, and other sources to identify the 225 titles that serve as the basis for her guide. Ranging from Homer's "Iliad" to Amy Tan's "The Kitchen God's Wife", the "classics" culled for words include novels, short stories, plays, autobiographies, and letters Each entry explains the meaning of the term as it is used in a particular literary work and summarizes the context in which the word appears. Many entries also indicate pronunciation, and approximately 800 are accompanied by small black-and-white line drawings. Snodgrass provides liberal cross-references from alternate spellings and related and synonymous terms. An index by author, subarranged by title, lists the words taken from each of the literary sources. In addition, a subject index groups terms by broad topical categories, such as clothing, furnishings, and medicine While the majority of the words included in this dictionary are archaic, arcane, or specialized terms with which many readers will be unfamiliar (e.g., "coffle", "linstock", "solfeggio"), one wonders at the number of commonplace terms selected ("cocaine", "food stamps", "vampire"). Of even greater concern, however, is the omission of words that most certainly will be foreign to modern readers. For instance, although Snodgrass defines 24 terms from "Jane Eyre" (among them "gingham", "heather", and "portfolio"), she does not provide assistance with "lameter", "parterre", and "vinaigrette". In addition, some of her definitions are sure to baffle rather than enlighten. For example, "jewelbox" is defined as "a block attached to an eyebolt through which is laced the halyard that keeps a sail fully extended across a yardarm. Due to its spotty coverage, this dictionary cannot substitute for the explanations provided by the various critical editions available for many of the literary works it covers. Furthermore, most of the words defined in this compilation appear in lexicons already in many high-school libraries, such as the "World Book Dictionary" and the "Random House Unabridged Dictionary". However, although this work has a number of idiosyncracies and flaws, its context-specific definitions set it apart from other sources and could be beneficial to teachers and students alike. While it is not a necessary purchase, high-school and public libraries may find it a useful supplement to standard dictionaries.

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