What is an idiom? Among other things it is an expression whose words do not mean what they say. Someone spilling the beans all over the table may make a mess but spilling the beans all over town would mean something else entirely. Idioms are also inflexible
- you cant hit about the bush or beat about the shrub or say that the bush was beaten about. The English language contains a vast store of idioms that can be used in creative & forceful ways. This totally revised & greatly expanded edition examines over 500 such phrases tracing each ones source & history through a rich supply of examples. New entries include playing fast & loose (from a 16th-century fairground game) head over heels (a totally illogical variation on the more sensible heels over head) & knee-high to a grasshopper (which won out over knee-high to a mosquito & knee-high to a toad). Mini-essays scattered through the book enable the authors to expand on such broader themes as: What is an idiom? National Rivalries & The Old Curiosity Shop of Linguistics. While maintaining scholarly accuracy Linda & Roger Flavell convey their great love of the curious in language in a way that will be irresistible to anyone who delights in words.
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This best-selling dictionary is an authoritative & comprehensive source of jargon-free legal information. It contains over 4 200 entries that clearly define the major terms concepts processes & the organization of the English legal system. Entries have been fully updated for this new edition to reflect the very latest legislation including the substantial new Companies Act that affects company law & the Constitutional Reform Act that affects the positions of the Lord Chancellor Lord Chief Justice & the Law Lords. This edition also

Includes:: expanded coverage of criminology & law enforcement. Highlighted feature entries discuss key topics in detail for example adoption law the appeals system statement of terms of employment & terrorism acts & there is a useful Writing & Citation Guide that specifically addresses problems & established conventions for writing legal essays & reports. Now providing more information than ever before this edition features recommended web links for many entries which are accessed & kept up to date via the Dictionary of Law companion website. Described by leading university lecturers as the best law dictionary & excellent for non-law students as well as law undergraduates this classic dictionary is an invaluable source of legal reference for professionals students & anyone else needing succinct clarification of legal terms. Focusing primarily on English law it also provides a one-stop source of information for any of the many countries that base their legal system on English law.

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With over 8 000 terms & expressions this best-selling dictionary provides clear concise & fully up-to-date information on all aspects of civil criminal & commercial law. Fully updated for the new edition expanded topics include juvenile crime immigration anti-terrorism measures e-crime family law police procedure & forensics. Examples & encyclopedic comments help to explain complex terms from British European & US legal procedure. A recommended text for a number of law courses this book is ideal for students & all professionals who need to understand legal terminology especially non-native speakers of English. 'A useful volume for non-lawyers'
- Citizens' Advice Bureaux
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This best-selling dictionary is an authoritative & comprehensive source of jargon-free legal information. It contains over 4 200 entries that clearly define the major terms concepts processes & the organization of the English legal system. This is a reissue with new covers & essential updates to account for recent changes. Highlighted feature entries discuss key topics in detail for example adoption law the appeals system statement of terms of employment & terrorism acts & there is a useful Writing & Citation Guide that specifically addresses problems & established conventions for writing legal essays & reports. Now providing more information than ever before this edition features recommended web links for many entries which are accessed & kept up to date via the Dictionary of Law companion website. Described by leading university lecturers as 'the best law dictionary' & 'excellent for non-law students as well as law undergraduates' this classic dictionary is an invaluable source of legal reference for professionals students & anyone else needing succinct clarification of legal terms. Focusing primarily on English law it also provides a one-stop source of information for any of the many countries that base their legal system on English law. ...

A Dictionary of Law Enforcement is the only dictionary available with a primary focus on UK law enforcement terms. Succinct & practical in its approach it contains over 3 400 entries covering ever aspect of this diverse field including terms related to law pathology forensic medicine accountancy insurance shipping commerce & trade criminology & psychology. Entries are supported by a wealth of practical information including (where appropriate) citations & references to statutes & legislation. In addition to the definitions the dictionary also contains five useful appendices: Abbreviations & Acronyms Recordable Offences Disclosure Code Disclosure Guidelines & Disclosure Protocol. Written by two former police officers both now lecturers in law & criminal investigation the dictionary fills a significant gap in the law market & will be invaluable to police officers & trainee officers students & lecturers of criminology criminal justice & police studies & other professionals needing clear definitions of law enforcement terms. ...

This authoritative work is the first visual dictionary of Maya glyphs published since the scripts complete deciphering offering a much-needed comprehensive catalogue of 1100 secured glyphs. Each entry

Includes:: the illustrated glyph its phonetic transcription Mayan equivalent part of speech & meaning. About the Author John Montgomery is an illustrator epigrapher writer & Ph D candidate in the field of Pre-Columbian Art at the University of New Mexico. He also teaches art history at the South-western Indian Polytechnic Institute in Albuquerque. A long & varied experience in Central America first inspired his interest in the ancient Maya. His glyphic illustrations based on a lifetime of involvement with Maya glyph decipherment. He lives in Albuquerque New Mexico.

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The Dictionary of Media & Communication is an authoritative & wide-ranging A-Z providing over 2 200 entries on terms used in media & communication from concepts & theories to technical terms across subject areas that include advertising digital culture journalism new media radio studies & telecommunications. It also covers relevant terminology from related disciplines such as literary theory semiotics cultural studies & philosophy. The entries are extensively cross-referenced allowing the reader to link related concepts that span different discourses with ease. It is an indispensable guide for undergraduate students on degree courses in media or communication studies & also for those taking related subjects such as film studies visual culture & cultural studies. With highly relevant web links to key essays images examples & websites which complement the A-Z entries all updated & accessed via a companion webpage as well as a biographical appendix with web links to key people this is a valuable resource for media professionals postgraduates academics & researchers & an eminently practical & user-friendly reference for anyone involved in the worlds of media & communication. ...

The fifth edition of this best-selling & trusted dictionary has been fully updated & revised to take account of recent developments in nursing practice & related fields. Updates cover general nursing statistics common scales & indexes religion & spirituality & commonly used abbreviations. Fully revised this dictionary provides comprehensive coverage of the ever-expanding vocabulary of the nursing professions. In addition to specifically nursing terms there are many entries in the fields of medicine anatomy physiology psychiatry nutrition & pharmacology (including new drugs recently introduced into medical practice). Over 10 000 clear & concise entries all written by medical & nursing specialists cover the theory & practice of nursing. 100 helpful illustrations & 15 appendices covering nutritional requirements reference values for biochemical & haematological data interpretation of body mass index & much more make this an invaluable reference tool for all nursing students & professionals. ...

This fully updated edition offers over 11 000 entries each providing clear up-to-date coverage of specialist nursing terms including diseases symptoms anatomy instruments common drugs & biological terms. It covers both everyday vocabulary relating to patient care & terms from medical specialisations such as psychiatry. It provides the user with a complete guide to the vocabulary likely to be encountered by nurses (and other health care professionals) in their day-to-day work. ...

The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase & Fable explains the origins of the familiar & the unfamiliar in everyday speech & literature including the colloquial & the proverbial & embracing archaeology history religion the arts science mythology & characters from fiction. This invaluable dictionary which revises & updates the original work of Dr Ebenezer Cobham Brewer encompasses material from all over the English speaking world & cites many equivalents from other European countries. The inclusion of"ations which accompany & illustrate many of the entries adds hugely to the value of this legendary work of reference. ...