Discover 1001 of the most important quotations from throughout history, and learn about the context behind them, with this comprehensive guide.
Nigel Rees Book order
Nigel Rees is celebrated for devising and hosting the radio panel game Quote... Unquote and for authoring over fifty books, delving into reference, humor, and fiction. His literary contributions primarily explore the richness of the English language, focusing on the humor derived from it and the origins and usage of well-known quotations and sayings. Rees is distinguished by his engaging approach to etymology and vocabulary, making these subjects accessible and entertaining for readers. His extensive body of work positions him as a prominent popularizer of linguistic insights and wordplay.






- 2018
- 2009
More Tea, Vicar?: An Embarrasment of Domestic Catchphrases
- 272 pages
- 10 hours of reading
Exploring the charm of domestic catchphrases, this guide delves into the humorous and often cheeky expressions that shape family conversations. Through contributions from listeners of his radio program, Nigel Rees highlights a variety of sayings, from playful responses to children's inquiries to whimsical proverbs and unique loophemisms. The book serves as a nostalgic reflection on how these colorful phrases encapsulate everyday life, providing readers with a delightful collection that resonates with shared experiences and informal speech.
- 2007
Over the last 30 years, hundreds of thousands of listeners of Quote…Unquote have written to Nigel Rees to share informal sayings from everyday life. These have taken the form of domestic catchphrases, family sayings (often unique to a particular family), household words, rhymes, old wives' sayings, and proverbial wisdom. Often they were accompanied by a request as to whether anybody else knew of them. Nigel Rees has searched for the origins of hundreds of these conversation clippings, which together form the basis of the book. Illustrating every aspect of domestic life, from phrases to describe our less respectable neighbors, to the 'nannyisms' we heard as a child, they are guaranteed to raise a smile.
- 2006
A Man about a Dog
- 400 pages
- 14 hours of reading
'Euphemisms are unpleasant truths wearing diplomatic cologne.'(Quentin Crisp). In his latest book, Nigel Rees, one of Britain's foremost commentators on English, has collected and explained 2467 examples of verbal perfume.Fascinating, lively and endless fun, 'A Man About A Dog' is a must for anyone captivated by language and our ability to abuse it.Nigel Rees is one of the best-known language writers and presenters in the UK. His 'Quote, Unquote' radio programme has been running for nearly thirty years and he is a frequent occupier of Dictionary Corner on Countdown.
- 2006
A Word in Your Shell-like
- 768 pages
- 27 hours of reading
Unravel the meaning, origin, and usage of over 6,000 phrases from book and film titles, idioms and cliches, to nicknames, slogans and quotations with this modern and entertaining guide to wonderful phrases by one of the world’s best-known wordsmiths.The ideal replacement or complement to that tatty old copy of Brewer's Phrase and Fable most of us have about the house, A Word in Your Shell-Like is an entertaining look at both familiar and unfamiliar phrases by one of the key world authorities in English language reference. The articles also contain discussion of meaning, origin and usage.Who was originally 'sold down the river'? Have you been told to 'Naff off'? Find out of whom it was said 'he couldn't chew gum and fart at the same time', who the 'catcher in the rye' was, and what it means to be 'caught between wind and water'. Few other word reference books are likely to increase your store of knowledge with such fun.
- 2001
Who told novelist H.G. Wells "It is all very well to be able to write books, but can you waggle your ears?" (J.M Barrie, author of Peter Pan ). Which star stated, "An actor's a guy who, if you ain't talking about him, ain't listening"? (Marlon Brando). Whatever the subject, someone said something wise, witty, sarcastic, or silly about it. These thousands of quotations, arranged thematically, will roll over everything you ever took too seriously. Now greatly expanded!
- 1999
The Cassell dictionary of clichés
- 288 pages
- 11 hours of reading
This wide-ranging A-Z guide to over 1,200 popular expressions uncovers amusing origins of both traditional and modern sayings. "A picture is worth a thousand words" is historically believed to be a Chinese proverb. In reality, it appeared in the "Printer's Ink paper in 1927, where the real author credited a Chinese source "so that people would take it more seriously." Did you know that a Listerine Mouthwash commercial is to be thanked for the phrase "Always a bridesmaid, never a bride?" So go ahead, "Eat your heart out." After all, "You ain't seen nothin' yet!" 240 pages, 5 x 7 3/4.
- 1998
This dictionary of more than 2000 quotations provides information on a wide range of problematic quotations. Annotations explain the origin and background to famous quotations, highlight popular misconceptions and correct common misquotations. It includes an extensive index of key words.
- 1997
Cassell Companion to Quotations
- 640 pages
- 23 hours of reading
The essential and unique annotated companion to the complex world of quotations. With its detailed insights into a host of misremembered, misattributed, and generally problematic sayins and remarks, this book forms a fascinating and entertaining
- 1995
This guide to common catchphrases not only explains the meanings of some 1200 expressions, but also shows where they come from and the reason for their popularity. Catchphrases listed include "eat your heart out", "did the earth move for you" and "and now for something completely different".








