Respected quotation anthologist and author of Oxymoronica and Viva la Repartee Dr. Mardy Grothe is at his best in Metaphors Be with You, an A to Z dictionary of 2,500 of history’s greatest metaphorical quotations, meticulously curated for writers, readers, and quotation lovers everywhere.

In Metaphors Be with You, Dr. Mardy Grothe has created the definitive reference on English’s finest metaphors by arranging quotations on two hundred and fifty human interest topics—sourced from literature, politics, philosophy, Hollywood, religion, sports, comedy, history, religion, pop culture, and beyond—into lists of "The Ten Best Things Ever Said." The book also includes an introduction to the nature, importance, and sheer joy of metaphorical language.

Essential for writers, readers, and language aficionados, this breathtaking, beautifully designed sourcebook also contains elegantly integrated digital access to Dr. Mardy’s Dictionary of Metaphorical Quotations, the world’s largest online database of quotations containing metaphors, similes, and analogies. This one-of-a-kind synergy between print and technology offers a comprehensive look at the diversity of words and phrases we use to relate to, understand, and describe our world by providing access to detailed source information, innumerable "Error Alerts," and fascinating quotation backstories that will engage readers as they delve into metaphorical language and discover their own favorites.

Whether you’re crafting a speech, writing a novel, or simply searching for new ways to express yourself, this remarkable compendium is sure to inspire you with the perfect metaphor every time.

A must-have for language lovers, this compendium contains hundreds of mind-stretching observations that are contradictory or illogical on one level, yet true, witty, and often profound on another.

ox-y-mor-on-i-ca (OK-se-mor-ON-uh-ca) noun: Any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are profoundly true.

For example:

"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad."
—Victor Hugo

"To lead the people, walk behind them."
—Lao-tzu

"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap."
—Dolly Parton

For over a decade Dr. Mardy Grothe has delighted readers with this collection of 1,400 of the most provocative quotations of all time. From ancient thinkers like Confucius, Aristotle and Saint Augustine, to great writers like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde and G. B. Shaw, to modern social observers like Woody Allen and Lily Tomlin, Oxymoronica celebrates the power and beauty of paradoxical thinking. All areas of human activity are explored, including love, sex, romance, politics, the arts, marriage and family, and, of course, the literary life. Sure to grab the attention of language lovers everywhere, the wise and witty observations in this book are as entertaining as they are intellectually nourishing. 

"Never let 'em see you sweat."
"Never change diapers in mid-stream."
"Never let a crisis go to waste."
"Never ruin an apology with an excuse."
"Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died."

When we strongly encourage people to do something, it's called an exhortation. But what is the proper term for strongly discouraging people? One candidate is admonition. Another is dehortation, the opposite of exhortation. But perhaps the best term for an emphatic piece of dissuasive advice is neverism. You won't find the term in any dictionary (at least not yet) because quotation anthologist Dr. Mardy Grothe coined it himself for this collection of nearly two thousand quotable cautionary warnings. With the whimsical and witty intermixed with the serious and profound, contributors range from Aesop and Marcus Aurelius to John Wayne and Mae West. Grothe also tells the fascinating "back stories" of scores of classic quotations as well as the history of hundreds more that have never before appeared in a quotation anthology. Organized by topics such as Wit & Wordplay, Politics & Government, Sports, Stage & Screen, and The Literary Life, this is a book about quotations as well as a book of them. Neverisms is sure to delight quotation lovers and language aficionados everywhere.

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.

If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.

If you can't be kind, at least be vague.

An aphorism is a pithy observation that attempts to communicate a truth about the human experience, often with a dash of wit. History's greatest thinkers and writers have viewed the aphorism as a potent tool, and it is remarkable how many of their most memorable observations have been introduced with the biggest little word in the human language: If. These ifferisms, as they have been dubbed by quotation anthologist Dr. Mardy Grothe, demonstrate the powerful role that hypothetical and conditional thinking play in our lives.

This novel compendium of wisdom, wit, and wordplay presents nearly two thousand quotations that all begin with the word if. Alongside history's most famous sayings, readers will find—and often learn the fascinating story behind—such modern classics as "If you build it, they will come" and "If anything can go wrong, it will." In chapters on sex, love, sports, politics, advice, gender dynamics, and more, quotation lovers will savor scintillating observations from the usual suspects—Twain, Wilde, Shaw, Emerson, and Franklin—as well as scores of contemporary wits and wordsmiths.

The murals in restaurants are on a par with the food in museums.

America is an enormous frosted cupcake in the middle of millions of starving people.

Critics are like pigs at the pastry cart.

Describing something by relating it to another thing is the essence of metaphorical thought. It is one of the oldest activities of humankind—and one of the most impressive when done skillfully. Throughout history, many masters of metaphor have crafted observations that are so spectacular they have taken up a permanent residence in our minds.

In I Never Metaphor I Didn't Like, quotation maven Dr. Mardy Grothe fixes his attention on the three superstars of figurative language—analogies, metaphors, and similes. The result is an extraordinary compilation of nearly 2,000 feats of association that will entertain, educate, and occasionally inspire quotation lovers everywhere.

In this intellectual smorgasbord, the author of Oxymoronica and Viva la Repartee explains figurative language in a refreshingly down-to-earth way before taking readers on a tour of history's greatest word pictures. In chapters on wit, love, sex, stage and screen, insults, politics, sports, and more, you will find quotations from Aristotle and Maya Angelou to George Washington and Oprah Winfrey.

Benvenuti nel mondo del "chiasmo", una delle più antiche e riuscite invenzioni linguistiche. Molti dei più acuti pensatori e degli oratori più brillanti come Shakespeare, Winston Churchill, Oscar Wilde, George Bernard Shaw, Benjamin Franklin, John Kennedy - sono stati maestri di questo genere e hanno creato chiasmi indimenticabili.

Pensatori antichi e moderni, scrittori, attori e personaggi dello star system, politici e statisti, grandi uomini d'affari: tutti si sono imbattuti negli ossimori e nei paradossi, della lingua (e della vita). C'è chi li pronuncia involontariamente e chi ne fa una bandiera del proprio modo di esprimersi. Questo testo che celebra il potere e la forza dirompente di un modo di pensare, a volte spiazzante ma sempre in grado di colpire la curiosità e l'intelligenza di chi ci ascolta. Da Confucio a Oscar Wilde, da Aristotele a Francoise Sagan, da Marziale a George Bernard Shaw, da Petrarca a Oriana Fallaci il libro di Grothe contiene oltre mille tra le citazioni più provocatorie di tutti i tempi, che abbracciano ogni settore dell'attività umana. Frasi, sentenze famose e dichiarazioni che coinvolgono il lettore, ne affinano la cultura, catturano l'attenzione di tutti gli amanti della lingua e del bel parlare. E, soprattutto, trasmettono a ognuno di noi la sottile, e in qualche caso segreta, verità racchiusa in ogni battuta. "Citazioni sottolinea l'autore - che impongono un rimuginare continuo e ripetuto, non certo una scorsa veloce, da parte degli amanti della lingua, che si divertono un mondo nel vedere perole ed espressioni usato in modo creativo e intelligente".

Pensatori antichi e moderni, scrittori, attori e personaggi dello star system, politici e statisti, grandi uomini d'affari: tutti abbiamo sorriso delle loro battute fulminanti, ormai divenute, in molti casi, la loro bandiera e l'emblema di un modo di pensare. Da Winston Churchill a Oscar Wilde, da Raffaello a Pericle, da Voltaire a Ghandi, questo volume raccoglie i detti più celebri e brillanti, la storia dei loro autori, il contesto in cui sono stati pronunciati e le reazioni che hanno provocato.

For most of us, that perfect retort or witty reply often escapes us when we need it most, only to come to mind with perfect clarity when it's too late to be useful. The twentieth-century writer Heywood Broun described this all-too-common phenomenon when he wrote "Repartee is what we wish we'd said."

In Viva la Repartee, Dr. Mardy Grothe, author of Oxymoronica, has lovingly assembled a collection of masterfully composed -- and perfectly timed -- replies that have turned the tables on opponents and adversaries. This delightful volume is a celebration of the most impressive retorts, ripostes, rejoinders, comebacks, quips, ad-libs, bon mots, off-the-cuff comments, wisecracks, and other clever remarks ever to come out of the mouths -- and from the pens -- of people throughout history. Touching on all areas of human endeavor, including politics, the arts, literature, sports, relationships, and even the risqué, the book features contributions from Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, Dorothy Parker, Mae West, Groucho Marx, Winston Churchill, Dolly Parton, and scores more.

As entertaining as it is intellectually enriching, Viva la Repartee is sure to capture the attention of language lovers and is the perfect antidote for anyone who's ever thought I wish I'd said that!

ox-y-mor-on-i-ca (OK-se-mor-ON-uh-ca) noun, plural: Any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are true, often profoundly true. See also oxymoron, paradox.

examples:

"Melancholy is the pleasure of being sad."
Victor Hugo

"To lead the people, walk behind them."
Lao-tzu

"You'd be surprised how much it costs to look this cheap."
Dolly Parton

You won't find the word "oxymoronica" in any dictionary (at least not yet) because Dr. Mardy Grothe introduces it to readers in this delightful collection of 1,400 of the most provocative quotations of all time. From ancient thinkers like Confucius, Aristotle, and Saint Augustine to great writers like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and G. B. Shaw to modern social observers like Woody Allen and Lily Tomlin, Oxymoronica celebrates the power and beauty of paradoxical thinking. All areas of human activity are explored, including love, sex and romance, politics, the arts, the literary life, and, of course, marriage and family life. The wise and witty observations in this book are as highly entertaining as they are intellectually nourishing and are sure to grab the attention of language lovers everywhere.