Which Brewers ?

[shaneystar2]

Yet again I have been struggling with the Speccie because of bloomin' Brewer !.
I thought they said that they were only going to use Chambers in future ?
Can someone advise on the best one to buy .Phrase and Fable or Brewer's Dictionary of Modern Phrase and Fable. I am searching through Amazon and am none the wiser .
What do you all have ?
Thank you .

[DocHH]

Hello Shaneystar2,
I found the answer in Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, had to resort to the library as I don't have hard copy. Normally http://www.infoplease.com/dictionary/brewers/ works OK.
However I'll be investing �19.99 in Brewers quite soon.
Ciao

[shaneystar2]

Ho DocHH ..that's a good site . I shall bookmark that. I was going through Bartleby which was hopeless .Well..it's not hopeless itself ... but I am useless at navigating some of these sites .
Looks as if I shall have to invest some dosh too !
Many thanks .

[DocHH]

Hello Shaneystar2,
Looks like our friend Matakari has appeared again for this weeks Speccie! I'm happy to help again. What can I do to help you?

[shaneystar2]

I just can't work out the phrase .I've cracked all the other clues .
I really am at a loss .I don't want the answer ..a hint is sufficient...I am going to go and order this Brewers Dictionary .
So frustrating and I went into the library today too ! Should have thought rather than looking for the latest gorefest thriller .

[DocHH]

Have you bought your beloved a "timely" card or present yet!! That's the problem with these Brewer references, knowing which category to look in.
Ciao apparently means vale in olden times!
Suspect that is enough hints for you.
Adieu
ps There is no way you will sort out the quotation without Brewers. Get yourself to your library first thing tomorrow morning!

[dr b]

Much as I hate to disagree, DocHH, I found the quote in its entirety with a Google search, so it's not impossible. No doubt easier with Brewers, but hey, there's this recession on - "free" wins!

[dr b]

what cracked the code, as it were, was an educated guess at 11a; googling that 2-word term led straight to the source.

[DocHH]

Hello dr b
I tried that but must have plugged in the wrong search question? Let's hope shaneystar2 gets to the solution either way.
Adios

[shaneystar2]

I had a sneaking feeling it was something to do with that old tosh about a minor saint !
My beloved and I have been married for far too long to worry about things like that . In fact if he were to pitch up with a card I would be wondering what he was up too .Hahaaa :))
Got it ..thank you xx

[bathtub]

To go back to the original question, I rely on Google, the Bartleby edition of Brewer's online and a �2 secondhand copy of something called the Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, based on Brewer's original and added to, pub c 2000.

On the whole, they work fine.

At Christmas, I gave up the unequal struggle to find a 'current' Brewer's in any of my local bookshops (temporarily out of print, I was told). And beware - there are many volumes that turn out to be 'Brewer's' dictionary of, er, modern or 20th/21st century phrase and fable. The original is long out of copyright, and thus it's perfectly possible to produce as many imitators as publishers care to.

My conclusion is - buy any old secondhand copy, as cheaply as possible, and rely on Google as a back-up.

[AHearer]

It's hard to say which edition is best. As with ODQ, items pop in and out as the various revisers do their bit. My edition (eighth) refers to the quotation, but does not actually quote it.

[shaneystar2]

I realised there were many editions when I looked on Amazon . For this Speccie I tracked down the quote in a flash on Wiki after Doc's hint .
Think I will save my money and do a charity shop and second hand bookshop rummage !
Many thanks to you both .