I bought this first when learning Norwegian and still use it now I am a professional translator. It is far superior to many volumes costing 2 or 3 times as much - especially those published in Norway which are all very dated by comparison. The Collins is bang up to date and includes many idiomatic expressions as well as the higher registers of language. Especially useful are the many examples which show clearly the correct usage in both languages. This dictionary rarely lets me down despite its compact size and often gives me not just the word I want but the whole phrase to go with it. It's the best dictionary I have ever bought and I highly recommend it. My only criticism: the binding soon fell apart, but then it has had plenty of use.