From films ranging from An American in Paris & Flying Down to Rio to such Broadway landmarks as Oklahoma & West Side Story & television hits such as Cinderella & High School Musical the American musical has thrilled audiences around the world. Now in The Oxford Companion to the American Musical readers have at last an engaging & authoritative reference to this highly popular genre--the only such book to cover stage film & television musicals in one volume. With more than two thousand entries this book offers a wealth of information on musicals performers composers lyricists producers choreographers & much more. There are biographical entries on stars ranging from Fred Astaire & Bing Crosby to Mary Martin & Mae West as well as such contemporary show-stoppers as Nathan Lane Savion Glover & Kristin Chenowith; on composers ranging from Irving Berlin & George Gershwin to Richard Rodgers & Andrew Lloyd Webber; & on choreographers such as Bob Fosse Tommy Tune & Debbie Allen. The plays & films covered range from modern hits such as Mamma Mia! & Moulin Rouge to timeless classics such as Yankee Doodle Dandy & Show Boat. Also many musicals written specifically for television are included & many entries follow a work (such as Babes in Toyland) as it moves across genres from stage to film to television. The Companion also

Includes:: cross references a comprehensive listing of recommended recordings & a useful chronological listing of all the musicals described in the book. Whether you are curious about Singin in the Rain or Spamalot The Wizard of Oz or Grease this well-researched & entertaining resource is the first place to turn for reliable information on virtually every aspect of the American musical. Everything you ever wanted to know about the American musical--at your fingertips. What could be better or more useful?" --Marvin Hamlisch " Kudos to Thomas Hischak for The Oxford Companion to the American Musical. Resources such as these are extremely important not only as historic & academic records but for future generations of artists who need to understand the legacy they have inherited." --Carol Channing"

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Published in 1994 to worldwide acclaim the first edition of Jancis Robinson's seminal volume immediately attained legendary status winning every major wine book award including the Glenfiddich & Julia Child/IACP awards as well as writer & woman of the year accolades for its editor on both sides of the Atlantic. Combining meticulously-researched fact with refreshing opinion & wit The Oxford Companion to Wine presents almost 4 000 entries on every wine-related topic imaginable from regions & grape varieties to the owners connoisseurs growers & tasters in wine through the ages; from viticulture & oenology to the history of wine from its origins to the present day. Now exhaustively updated this third edition incorporates the very latest international research to present almost 400 new entries on topics ranging from globalization & the politics of wine to brands precision viticulture & co-fermentation. Hundreds of entries have undergone major revision among them yeast barrel alternatives climate change & virtually all wine regions; & useful lists & statistics are appended including controlled appellations & their permitted grape varieties & wine production & consumption by country. Illustrated with maps of every important wine region in the world useful charts & diagrams & stunning colour photographs this Companion is unlike any other wine book offering an understanding of wine in all of its wider contexts
- notably historical cultural & scientific
- & serving as a truly companionable point of reference into which any wine-lover can dip & browse.

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With over 100 000 words & phrases the Oxford Crossword Dictionary" is the crossword enthusiast's key to success. Words & phrases are arranged by word length & alphabetically for easy look-up. There are 12 main sections covering words from two to thirteen letters in length & a further section containing phrases. The dictionary

Includes:: new words technical & foreign terms & up-to-the minute proper names. " The Oxford Crossword Dictionary" has been compiled using the rich resources of Oxford's Dictionary Department & advised by the " Guardian" newspaper's crossword editor Hugh Stephenson who has also written the Foreword. The design is clear & accessible for quick look-up & ease of use. Together with the " Oxford Puzzle Solver" the " Oxford Crossword Dictionary" will ensure that crosswords get solved every time!"

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The second edition of the Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus is the perfect language resource combining a dictionary & thesaurus text. This means that you only have to reach for one book when you need language help. In this edition the dictionary & thesaurus texts are integrated so that the thesaurus entry for a word follows the dictionary entry directly. This is based on market research into user preferences making the dictionary accessible clear & easy to use. New to this edition is a centre section for crossword enthusiasts & puzzle solvers containing hundreds of thematic word lists. With 300 000 definitions synonyms & antonyms this really is the ultimate tool for anyone who loves language-based quizzes & puzzles. The Oxford Dictionary & Thesaurus also features usage notes to help you deal with tricky vocabulary & improve your writing style. The ultimate reference tool for your shelf
- but not designed to stay there! The dictionary

Includes:: 12 months access* to Oxfords premium online dictionary & thesaurus service Oxford Dictionaries Online updated regularly with the latest developments to words & meanings so you will have the most accurate picture of English available. Find out more about our living language using Oxford Dictionaries Online. Hear how words are spoken with thousands of audio pronunciations & access over 1.9 million real English example sentences to see how words are used in context. Improve your confidence in writing with helpful grammar & punctuation guides full thesaurus information style & usage help & much more. * Available in selected markets (UK Europe Australia Canada & South Africa). Terms & conditions apply; please see www.oxforddictionaries.com/access for information.


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The foremost single volume authority on the English language the Oxford Dictionary of English is at the forefront of language research focusing on English as it is used today. It is informed by the most up-to-date evidence from the largest language research programme in the world including the two-billion-word Oxford English Corpus. This new edition

Includes:: thousands of br&-new words & senses as well as up-to-date encyclopedic information & extensive appendices covering topics such as countries heads of state & chemical elements. New features include Word Trends which showcase language research based on the Oxford English Corpus & illuminate the extraordinary stories behind fast-changing words of everyday English. 12 months' access to Oxford's premium online dictionary & thesaurus service is included with this book so you can get accurate definitions & synonyms wherever you are. Find out more about our living language using Oxford Dictionaries Pro
- updated regularly with the latest changes to words & meanings so you have the most accurate picture of English available. Use the thousands of audio pronunciations to hear how words are spoken. Improve your confidence in writing with helpful grammar & punctuation guides full thesaurus information style & usage help & much more.


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Did you know that flavour of the month originated in a marketing campaign in American ice-cream parlours in the 1940s when a particular flavour would be specially promoted for a month at a time? & did you know that off the cuff refers to the rather messy practice of writing impromptu notes on ones shirt cuff before speaking in public? These & many more idioms are explained & put into context in this third edition of the Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. The volume takes a fresh look at the idiomatic phrases & sayings that make English the rich & intriguing language that it is. This major new edition contains entries for over 6 000 idioms including 700 entirely new entries based on Oxfords language monitoring & the ongoing third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. These include a range of recently established idioms such as the elephant in the corner go figure like a rat up a drainpipe sex on legs step up to the plate too posh to push a walk in the park win ugly. This edition also features a greatly increased number of cross-references making it ideal for quick reference. Many entries include additional features which give more detailed background on the idiom in question. For example did you know that taken aback was adopted from nautical terminology that described a ship unable to move forward because of a strong headwind pressing its sails back against the mast? Anyone interested in the colourful side of the English language will get hours of fun browsing from this fascinating & informative volume. ...

This hilarious collection of humorous"ations full of wisecracks & wit snappy comments & inspired fantasy has been specially compiled by the late broadcaster & raconteur Ned Sherrin with a foreword by leading British satirist Alistair Beaton. Now packed with even more"es & covering more subjects than before from Weddings to the Supernatural Headlines to Australia. Find the best lines from your favourite jokesters & wordsmiths add that extra something to a speech or presentation or just enjoy a good laugh. 'A chair is a piece of furniture. I am not a chair because no one has ever sat on me.' Ann Widdecombe on the announcement that Parliamentary language will now be gender-neutral ' No wonder Bob Geldof is such an expert on famine. He's been feeding off 'I don't like Mondays' for 30 years.' Russell Brand On deciding to run for governor of California: ' The most difficult decision I've ever made in my entire life except for the one in 1978 when I decided to get a bikini wax.' Arnold Schwarzenegger ' Wanting to know an author because you like his work is like wanting to know a duck because you like pate.' Margaret Atwood 'I am so sorry. We have to stop there. I have just come to the end of my personality.' Quentin Crisp closing down an interview ...

The best-selling Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms (formerly the Concise dictionary) provides clear concise & often witty definitions of the most troublesome literary terms from abjection to zeugma. It is an essential reference tool for students of literature in any language. It is now available in a new & expanded edition &

Includes:: increased coverage of new terms from modern critical & theoretical movements such as feminism & schools of American poetry Spanish verse forms life writing & crime fiction. It

Includes:: extensive coverage of traditional drama versification rhetoric & literary history as well as updated & extended advice on recommended further reading & a pronunciation guide to more than 200 terms. New to this edition are recommended entry-level web links updated via the Dictionary of Literary Terms companion website.



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Printed music & writing about music involve the use of complex systems of notation & a wealth of technical terms in several languages. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Musical Terms provides clear succinct definitions of a comprehensive range of the musical terms in English & other European languages that are likely to be encountered in Western music. Over 2 500 A-Z entries range across a spectrum of subjects among them: rhythm metre forms genres pitch scales chords harmony & counterpoint notational systems composition & analysis performance practice tempo expression musical periods artistic movements computer applications acoustics & many more. Entries provide etymologies & are fully cross-referenced. Some are illustrated with music examples & tables. An appendix lists all composers mentioned in the Dictionary with their dates. It is an ideal book for students & teachers of music
- it covers all the terms required in the SMAB musical theory exams
- as well as for professional musicians those learning to play musical instruments & members of choirs & musical groups. It will also be a useful quick reference book for concert-goers CD-collectors & radio listeners.

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This best-selling dictionary is written by one of the most famous philosophers of our time & it is widely recognized as the best dictionary of its kind. Comprehensive & authoritative it covers every aspect of philosophy from Aristotle to Zen. With clear & concise definitions it provides lively & accessible coverage of not only Western philosophical traditions but also themes from Chinese Indian Islamic & Jewish philosophy. Entries include over 500 biographies of famous & influential philosophers in-depth analysis of philosophical terms & concepts & a chronology of philosophical events stretching from 10 000 BC to the present day. The first edition of this dictionary became a market-leader & a standard work of reference selling over 100 000 copies. Now the author Professor Simon Blackburn has revised it to include web links which provide up-to-date & valuable extra information via the Dictionary of Philosophy companion website. Fully cross-referenced & containing over 3 000 alphabetical entries it is the ideal introduction to philosophy for anyone with an interest in the subject & it is an indispensable work of reference for students & teachers. ...