Harper Dictionary of Foreign Terms

This is a handy book to have around if you are a writer or if you read a lot of great classics. "Dictionary of Foreign Terms," by C.O. Sylvester Mawson is a fascinating compilation of expressions from more than fifty languages...from Afrikaans to Zulu.I found this book looking for a popular saying in Spanish I half remembered. It was, "Libro cerrado no saco letrado," which means, "a closed book never makes a scholar." On the next page of this exquisite book I found the interesting German expression, "Liebe kann viel, Geld kann alles," which means, "love can do much, money can do everything; love is mighty, but money is almighty." This is the type of book you can spend an hour thumbing through...it is also great food for thought if you are a writer and want international flavor. Do you know, "a vol d'oiseau," means "as the grow flies," in French or that, "a vostro beneplacito," means, "at your pleasure; as you will," in Italian? One of the favorite foreign terms I found in this book is, "azeite, vinho e amigo, o mais antigo," a Portuguese expression which means, "oil, wine, friend...the oldest is the best." This is a seriously researched book with clear, precise definitios. In my opinion it is a great book to have in the family library.Bert Ruiz