The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 356 pages
• Published by: McGraw-Hill
• Edition: 1st Edition July 15, 2004
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0071433023
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0071433020
• Book Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 1.1 inches
• Weighs: 1.2 pounds

Book Description


For every learner who has wasted dictionary time looking up the individual parts of a Spanish saying only to have the whole add up to nonsense, The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms provides innovative and easy access to scores of turns-of-phrase and their idiomatic English equivalents.

With more than 4,000 Spanish expressions arranged by keyword, numerous example sentences, and an extensive index for cross-referencing, you can quickly find phrase-based translations by way of either English or Spanish. Compact and comprehensive, this tool is perfect for a student's backpack or a translator's briefcase.

Back Cover Copy


The most comprehensive, easy-to-use guide to idioms used in Spanish and English

Idioms are the heart and soul of a language as it's actually used, and Spanish has thousands of these mystifying expressions--most of which you will not find in any bilingual dictionary. With The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms you'll never be in the dark about the meanings of idioms and colloquialisms used across the Spanish-speaking world. And you'll never be at a loss for the right turn of phrase when speaking or writing Spanish.

The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms is filled with:

• 4,000 idioms arranged according to Spanish keywords
• 1,800 Spanish keywords and their English equivalents
• 1,800 example sentences for guidance in usage
• 8,000 matching English expressions
• An English-Spanish Index--to steer you to the right idioms, instantly
• Extensive cross-referencing that lets you access material in either language

By matching Spanish idioms with English expressions of a similar tone or register, this dictionary makes an ideal reference not only for students of Spanish but also for Spanish-speaking learners of English.

Reader Reviews
As frequent Amazon reviewer Erugifog mentions in his list of Spanish reference books, there are a number of entrants in the field of Spanish-English idiom guides. He recommends Eugene Savaiano's "2001 Idioms/2001 Modismos" but also advises shopping around. I found that to be good advice. Peter Weibel is the latest author to throw his hat into this specialty ring, and I consider his "Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms" the prohibitive leader of the pack at this point. With 12,000 idioms (4,000 in Spanish; double that in English), "Big Red" gets the nod simply because it is newer and, well, purports to have more idioms than any of its other serious rivals. Read the publisher's description and you'll get a good (and accurate -- truth in advertising, how refreshing!) feel for what this book has to offer. I was tempted to give it a five-star rating but changed my mind because I don't think it completely overshadows Savaiano's book. Both are reliable and useful references; if used in tandem, they complement each other very well. But if, for whatever reason, you want only a single reference book of this type, make it "Big Red." Also, be advised that in at least two places (the front cover and again in the introduction), "Big Red" identifies itself as a book for intermediate or advanced learners. For the most serious students of Spanish idioms and slang, "Diccionario del Argot: El Sohez" by Delfin Carbonell Basset is a safe bet. Unlike "Big Red", it is monolingual. Both books are published by McGraw Hill. But what really struck me as coincidental is, both Weibel and Carbonell state that their inspiration for writing their respective books was the Nobel Prize-winning Spanish author Camilo Jose Cela. Even if you're not trying to decipher Cela's slang-riddled, idiom-filled prose, however, "The Big Red Book of Spanish Idioms" can prove invaluable in your times of need. Comment | | (Report this)