Adonis to Zorro: Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion

Are you sitting comfortably? Then we will begin. The third edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Reference and Allusion is an Aladdin's cave of characters and quotations from popular sources which have filtered into everyday use as a “literary shorthand”. From mythology and religion, through Shakespeare and Dickens, to television programmes and trade names, there is a face or a phrase to convey universal meaning – finding the appropriate reference is elementary, my dear Watson! Editors Delahunty and Dignen have added new entries and even expanded the coverage to include further indirect allusions and cultural references, such as The Ghost...