This completely new dictionary has been designed to provide both the student and professional user with an up‐to‐date and accurate reference work; it offers in‐depth coverage of Spanish and English vocabulary together with a wide range of current idiomatic usage and expressions. Full account has been taken of modern technology, such as in finance, medicine and computing, and the need to keep abreast of changing terminology in these and similar areas. Nor have the editors fought shy of including a representative selective of current slang, often with an indication of how and when they may be used. With over 2,000 pages the dictionary offers more than 400,000 translations. The endpapers usefully list abbreviations used throughout the volume while the introduction (thoughtfully provided in both English and Spanish) explains the organization of entries, pronunciation rules and scope of the dictionary. A further useful section sets out examples of letter‐writing and other forms of communication including faxes and e‐mails.
In the main section of the dictionary, layout of entries is clear with prominence given to main headwords through the use of blocked upper case typeface. The use of a blue font for all headwords enables the reader to pick out a sought term with ease. Adequate examples are provided to enable users to understand the varying shades of meaning and ways in which a word or phrase may be used. Words no longer in current use are noted as such in both the Spanish and English sections. Thus, Rubio is recorded as a familiar term no longer in use for the peseta (itself now defunct), while Pate is described in the English section as an antiquated humorous term for a bald head. Idioms and proverbs are noted as such in both sections and the reader is warned of those “false friends” in both languages where the reader may be misled by an apparently similar word in his own language. At appropriate points throughout both sections, points of orthography and grammar are explained in detail, such as the use of the period in Spanish numerals, e.g. 1.847 and of the apostrophe “s” in English.
Care has been taken to distinguish between “standard” English usage and usage elsewhere, including American, Canadian, Australian and Scottish and Irish English. Similarly, the reader’s attention is directed to the differences between Castilian Spanish and usage throughout the rest of the Spanish‐speaking world. An indication of the international nature of the dictionary is provided by the abbreviations for political parties. Thus, we find the Partido Popular (PP) and Partido Socialista Obrero Español (PSOE), the ruling party and main opposition party respectively in Spain, alongside other initials, such as Partido Peronista Auténtico in Argentina (PPA), Partido Popular Cristiano in Perú (PPC) and Partido Popular Socialista in Mexico (PPS). Similarly, the meaning of Contestador is given as Telephone Answering Machine in Castilian Spanish and Cheeky in the Argentine, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay region.
A minor criticism appears to be a lack of care in the editing process. A search for the word haddock (a fish little known in Spain) in the English section reveals the word Abadejo. However, on looking up Abadejo in the Spanish section the word is translated as cod.
Despite this, the editors are to be congratulated on producing a dictionary which is both easy to use and comprehensive. In a market that is already served by a range of dictionaries this volume is sufficiently comprehensive and up to date to merit a place on the shelves of any reference library striving to maintain a good range of new language dictionaries. At a price of £29 this dictionary also deserves to attract considerable sales in the market for home and office use.
