The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations

The Oxford Dictionary of Quotations is the Oxford University Press's dictionary of commonly known quotations and proverbs in the English language and culture. The 1st edition was published in 1941. The 8th edition, expanded to over 1150 pages and 20,000 quotations, was published in print and online versions in 2014.

Since 1991, there has also been a subset volume, The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Quotations, that focuses on quotations from the 20th century onwards. In the volume's Preface, editor Tony Augarde explains the process by which material is chosen for an Oxford dictionary of quotations:

This book is not—like many quotations dictionaries—a subjective anthology of the editor's favourite quotations, but an objective selection of the quotations which are most widely known and used. Popularity and familiarity are the main criteria for inclusion, although no reader is likely to be familiar with all the quotations in this dictionary....

The quotations are drawn from novels, plays, poems, essays, speeches, films, radio and television broadcasts, songs, advertisements, and even book titles. It is difficult to draw the line between quotations and similar sayings like proverbs, catch-phrases, and idioms. For example, some quotations (like "The opera ain't over till the fat lady sings") become proverbial. These are usually included if they can be traced to a particular originator. However, we have generally omitted phrases like "agonizing reappraisal" which are covered adequately in the Oxford English Dictionary. Catch-phrases are included if there is evidence that they are widely remembered or used.