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Brewer's Dictionary of London Phrase and Fable [Hardcover]

Russ Willey
4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

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Book Description

25 Sep 2009 0550104453 978-0550104458

From the Bloomsbury Group to the Camberwell Carrot, Samuel Johnson to Boris Johnson and Oranges and Lemons to apples and pears, Brewer’s Dictionary of London Phrase & Fable gathers together the people, places, events, culture, anecdotes, slang and catchphrases that make London one of the greatest cities on Earth.

Perfect for looking up something interesting that you’ve found on your travels through the city, or simply browsing through to impress your London friends with the breadth of your knowledge – you’re bound to find something that they’ve never even heard of before.

So whether you’re a Londoner through and through, a newly-arrived citizen, a frequent visitor or you prefer to experience this bustling and cacophonous city from the safety of your armchair, Brewer’s Dictionary of London Phrase & Fable will bring the heart and soul of London to your bookshelf.


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Product details

  • Hardcover: 592 pages
  • Publisher: Chambers (25 Sep 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0550104453
  • ISBN-13: 978-0550104458
  • Product Dimensions: 16.4 x 4 x 25.3 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 388,072 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Review

It's a treasure trove ... --Robert Elms, BBC London, October 12, 2009

If The London Encyclopedia is your sage and venerable grandfather ... Brewer's [Dictionary of London Phrase & Fable] is your funky godfather, full of genial triviality and good humour ... --Time Out, Big Smoke blog, October 19, 2009

... if you have any interest at all in the story of London, you will find much ... to keep you reading.
--World Wide Words, Michael Quinion, October 31, 2009

From the Author

Some of my favourite parts of this book are the bits I didn't write myself: the illustrative quotations accompanying hundreds of the entries in the dictionary. A selection of these gives a flavour of the book as a whole.
"All within the sound of Bow Bell are in reproch called cochnies, and eaters of buttered tostes." (1617)
"... for you can hear them outside the house; they generally speak four or five at a time, and every one in a Mitcham whisper, which is very like a shout." (1892)
"When the Cockney is surprised and incredulous and says, 'Would you Adam and Eve it?' he slyly spreads his unbelief so as to cast a shadow of doubt on the story of creation in the first book of Genesis." (1934)
"Hard done by? A less than ideal world you live in? You're having a bubble, Frank [Lampard], as they say in your native East London." (2007)

Inside This Book (Learn More)
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great gift 16 Oct 2009
Format:Hardcover
If you are looking for a present for those difficult to please men in your life look no further than Brewer's London. Witty, informative, easy to dip into and addictive, uncles, brothers, sons, dads and grandads will love this for Christmas. I am just about to order my fourth copy and everyone I know who has seen it, knows someone who'd love it. Ps Girls love it too.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable for lovers of London 18 Feb 2010
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I have owned the regular Brewers Book of Phrase and Fable for almost a decade now and I didn't even realise that they published a London-specific book. I was looking for another book when I came across this one. It's a brilliant, well-researched guide to every aspect of the Big Smoke you'd want in a single volume. Just like the London Encyclopaedia, it's a volume you'll go to to look one thing up and find yourself sidetracked by another entry. Simply and clearly designed and edited, it's a must for people's bookshelves. Worth every penny...
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17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Would you know a Fulham virgin if you met her? You might know Cockney Rhyming Slang, but would you understand Palare if you heard it? Would you take offence being referred to as being as common as Ratcliff Highway? Read this excellent book and you'll learn that and much more in a volume that uncovers details of London's rich heritage found nowhere else. This wonderfully written, eclectic and quirky book is compulsive reading, as difficult to put down as a box of chocolates and totally non-fattening. Unless, of course, you're the Fat Boy of Peckham.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars brewers dictionary of london phrase and fable
Great to dip into if time is short, but also diverting for many hours if you feel like it. Entertaining and informative.
Published 24 days ago by mrs mary foster
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant !
Brewer's dictionaries have always been a favourite of mine,books whci you can pick up,open at any page,and be sure to find something really interesting.
Published 1 month ago by Bill W
5.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book
A collection of facts about London over the years up to modern times. About places we pass by without a thought of the history, The London nose (Taxi drivers will know), Bedlam... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Boblow
5.0 out of 5 stars A compendium of curios
I bought this as a gift for one of my friends who loves London and they were delighted with it. Although billed as a dictionary, many of the entries would do justice in terms of... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Paul Madge
4.0 out of 5 stars A Gallop Through London Phrase & Fable
Looked up the nose on Admiralty Arch and there it was. Wanted background on Seven Dials and there it was. Read more
Published on 28 April 2010 by Helen McSavaney
5.0 out of 5 stars Jansy
My brother already had a copy of Brewers Phrase and Fable and I thought he might enjoy this book too. Read more
Published on 15 Jan 2010 by Jansy
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent choice of material
This is the book for Londoners near and far who delight in things Brewer's and are never tired of London's quirks and idiosyncrasies, its deep sense of "being there" and constancy... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2010 by Barnard E. Turner
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