Dictionaries & Guides

The Arden Dictionary of Shakespeare Quotations
Jane Armstrong
The Arden Dicitonary of Shakespeare Quotations is a rich and diverse compilation of over 3,000 quotations from Shakespeare's plays and poems. Combining the Bard's most memorable phrases with less familiar gems, the Dictionary highlights Shakespeare's ability to express complexity of thought with linguistic agility, vivid imagery and humour, and highlights why his writing remains so popular today. Softcover, 396 pp. $20.00.

Globish: How the English Language Became the World's Language
Robert McCrum
In author Robert McCrum's fascinating analysis, the cultural revolution of our times is the emergence of English, a global phenomenon as never before, to become the world's language. Globish takes us on the riveting and enlightening journey of the spread of a global English, from the icy swamps of pre-Roman Saxony to the shopping malls of Seoul, from the study of 'crazy English' in China to crowds of juvenile wizards mobbing bookshops across the world. Hardcover, $32.95.

The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook
Sherrilyn Kenyon
Back in print and better than ever, The Writer's Digest Character Naming Sourcebook has been updated and expanded to help you find character names and their meanings quickly and easily. Hardcover, 486 pp. $27.50.

The Hero With a Thousand Faces
Joseph Campbell
Since its release in 1949, The Hero with a Thousand Faces has influenced millions of readers by combining the insights of modern psychology with Joseph Campbell's revolutionary understanding of comparative mythology. In these pages, Campbell outlines the Hero's Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all of the world's mythic traditions. Hardcover, $28.95.

The Oxford Companion to World Mythology
David Leeming
An enlightening journey deep into the world of myth, this comprehensive collection of the sacred and profane features: thousands of articles on heroes, villains, mythologists, and mythological approaches - the single most comprehensive reference in print, and over 90 black and white illustrations. Softcover, 468 pp. $29.95.

Clean, Well-Lighted Sentences: A Guide to Avoiding the Most Common Errors in Grammar and Punctuation
Janis Bell
This book is a concise and engaging piece for people who know what they want to write but who aren't entirely confident in their use of grammar and punctuation. This entertaining and respectful guide targets only the most common errors in American sentences. Janis Bell knows the questions that people ask, And she knows how to answer them in words that make sense, invite a smile, and remain memorable. Hardcover, 151 pp. $24.00.

The Cat's Pyjamas: The Penguin Book of Cliches
Julia Cresswell
Whatever you're trying to say, there are no two ways about it - someone's already been there before you. Here, beady-eyed word detective Julia Cresswell gets to the heart of the matter and looks at the history of some of the worst (and best) culprits, spilling the beans on their curious, often surprising origins. Softcover, 394 pp. $18.00.

Only in Canada, You Say: A Treasury of Canadian Language
Katherine Barber
In this charming volume, Katherine Barber gathers together more than 1,200 of the weird, wonderful, and just plain 'who-knew-it-was-Canadian' words and phrases that define life north of the 49th parallel. Softcover, 272 pp. $12.95.

Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations
Ned Sherrin
A hilarious collection, full of wisecracks and wit, snappy comments and inspired fantasy, specially chosen by raconteur and broadcaster Ned Sherrin. Includes 5,000 hand-picked quotations to enliven any speech, over 200 subjects, from gambling to Hollywood, and the best lines from your favourite jokesters and wordsmiths. Softcover, 525 pp. $29.95.

Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes
From writing poems to writing birthday cards, and from the garret to the classroom, this dictionary provides invaluable rhyming reference. Clearly laid out and easy to use, it is a must-have for writers of all kinds a superb tool for English teachers, and a delight for everyone who likes to play with words. Includes: proper names, place names, and foreign terms used in English, special notes to help writers create new and unusual rhymes. Softcover, 415 pp. $18.95.

Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying, & Quotation
Susan Ratcliffe
A rich profusion of proverbs, phrases, and quotations, arranged under a wide range of subjects, make this book the ideal place to look for an apt or pithy expression, or to explore the background of an extensive selection of related sayings and phrases. Hardcover, 689 pp. $44.95.

Oxford Canadian A-Z of Grammar, Spelling, & Punctuation
Katherine Barber & Robert Pontisso
In this easy-to-use guide, the dictionary editors at Oxford University Press Canada provide simple solutions to the most common language problems in a clear and eye-catching format. Softcover, 184 pp. $9.95.

The Elements of Style
Illustrated
William Strunk Jr. & E.B. White
The essential manual to written expression is now available in this deluxe hardcover edition, complete with a series of whimsical illustration by Maira Kalman. Hardcover, $35.00.

Slam Dunks and No-Brainers
Leslie Savan
With dazzling wit and acuity, three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Leslie Savan dissects contemporary language to discover what our most popular idioms reveal about America today. Whether it's George Tenet convincing George W. Bush that finding WMD in Iraq would be a "slam dunk" or Microsoft telling you that its latest software is a "no-brainer," this bright, snappy language affects us all -- up close and personal. This marvelously original and informative book about the ever-changing American language will provide surprising insights into the way we talk. Hardcover, 340 pp. $33.95.

The Hollywood Standard
Christopher Riley
The simple format rules found in this book -- which you can learn in an hour -- come from Hollywood's top expert on script format and will guarantee that your script makes a winning first impression. Intended to be kept at a screenwriter's fingertips. The Hollywood Standard gives you what even the best script software can't: clear, concise instructions and hundreds of examples to take the guesswork out of a multitude of formatting questions that perplex even seasoned screenwriters, waste their time, and steal their confidence. Softcover, 171 pp. $24.95.

In Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World
Christopher J. Moore
In Russia, "razbliuto" describes the pain of lost love; in Spain, a passionate spirit is embodied in "duende", and in Norway, the value of knowledge is expressed in "kunnskaping". Take a trip around the world in words and unlock the meaning of some of the most insightful, intriguing and satisfying expressions on the planet, for which there are no English equivalents. Hardcover, 127 pp. $18.95.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
Lynne Truss
Through sloppy usage and low standards on the Internet, in e-mail, and now "txt msgs," we have made proper punctuation an endangered species. In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, former editor Lynne Truss declares that it is high time that we give commas and semicolons the respect that they deserve. This runaway bestseller is perfect for those who love punctuation and get upset when it is mishandled. As Truss would say, "Sticklers unite!" Hardcover, 209 pp. $26.00.

Oxford Dictionary of Dance
Debra Craine & Judith Mackroll
The boundaries of dance have been radically redrawn over the last twenty years. This wide-ranging dictionary covers the explosion of new dance languages and choreography, and the growing appreciation of dance forms from around the world, as well as classical ballet, modern dance, companies, productions, dancers, and technical terms. Softcover, 527 pp. $25.95.

The Cambridge Guide to English Usage
Pam Peters
This book is an indispensible new A-Z reference to English usage for the twenty-first century. It covers more than 4,000 points of word meaning, spelling puncuation, grammar and style on which students, teachers, writers and editors regularly seek guidance. It also addresses larger issues of inclusive language, and effective writing and argument, and provides guidance on grammatical terminology. Hardcover, 608 pp. $52.95.

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See also:

Film > Screenplays

Television > Screenplays

Theatre > Playwrights

The Complete Writer's Guide To Heroes & Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes
Tami D. Cowden, Caro LaFever & Sue Viders
Heroic characters can be broken down into sixteen archetypes. By following the guidelines of the archetypes presented in this comprehensive reference work, writers can create extraordinarily memorable characters and elevate their writing to a higher level. Heroes & Heroines is an invaluable resource for screenwriters and playwrights. Softcover, 200 pp. $26.95.

Fantabulosa: A Dictionary of Polari & Gay Slang
Paul Baker
Paul Baker, a lecturer in Linguistics and Modern english Language at Lancaster University, exposes the secret language of gay men in the 20th century. Fantabulosa presents a lexicon of Polari and a more general dictionary of gay and lesbian slang. Informative, humorous and shocking by turns, this dictionary makes for an eye-opening read. Softcover, 242 pp. $14.50.

Oxford Dictionary of Catchphrases
Anna Farkas
This collection draws entries from books, radio and tv shows, films, advertisements, and slogans, explaining their orgins and meanings as well as their usage. As you dip into this fascinating and lively assortment, you will not only be reminded of well-known phrases from your past, but will also discover unfamiliar linguistic gems. Softcover, 357 pp. $22.95.

The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations
Revised Edition
Elizabeth Knowles
This beguiling collection boasts over 5,000 quotations representing some of the brightest and wittiest thoughts of the 20th and 21st centuries. A vital addition to the modern reference shelf, The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations is perfectly designed to answer the questions, "Who said what . . . and when . . . and why?" Softcover, 496 pp. $37.50.

The Secret Language of Girls
by Josey Vogels
Vogels, host of the hit TV show My Messy Bedroom, has written the ultimate insider's guide to the world of girl talk. Intelligent, insightful and fun, this book explores what it means to be female in these chick-empowered times. Softcover, $21.95.

Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary
Daniel Jones
This 16th edition of Daniel Jones' classic pronounciation guide includes over 80,000 entries, 215,000 pronounciations, full coverage of British and North American pronounciation, useful information on key pronounciation issues, and much more. Softcover 606 pp. $42.99.

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language
David Crystal
By offering a rare experience of the English language -- exploring its past, present and future -- this wonderous text has established itself as one of the major publications of recent times. Author David Crystal systematically explains the history, structure, variety and range of uses of English worldwide, employing a rich apparatus of text, pictures, tables, maps, and graphics. Softcover, 499 pp. $52.99.

Actions: The Actor's Thesaurus
Marina Caldarone & Maggie Lloyd-Williams
A handy book to have in rehearsal - this thesaurus offers a trove of action words to revitalise a performance. Verbs are integral to an actor finding the right action to suit the appropriate situation, and it can be difficult while in the moment. This book organizes a vast collection of active verbs to help bring any line alive. Easy to use and totally accessible, Actions is a terrific tool for the actor. Softcover, 158 pp. $22.95.

Dictionary of Symbols, Myths & Legends
Didier Colin
With over 400 entries which explain the visual and orthographic references that underpin so much of our cultural heritage, Dictionary of Symbols, Myths & Legends is invaluable in researching the meanings in art, literature and classic texts as well as for understanding and interpreting dreams and the customs of our lives. Illustrated throughout in full colour. Hardcover, 592 pp. $39.95.

Altered English: Surprising Meanings of Familiar Words
Jeffrey Kacirk
Everyday English is full of words whose meanings have become muddy with time. From 'daisy' -- once called 'Day's Eye,' to 'aftermath - which originally meant 'that which comes and grows after mowing,' this little dictionary of words will delight all readers, and deepen understanding of the language we speak. Hardcover, $34.95.

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Last modified July 18, 2012.
Please note that all prices are in Canadian dollars. All prices are subject to change without notice.