Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Bought for OU Language Course 2008, 30 Sep 2008
I bought this alongside the Spanish Grammar book as they are both set books for the OU course. High St book shops are a lot more expensive,I saved £5.00!! Both books are set out in a really easy & logical format.
Highly recommended

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Bought for OU Language Course 2008, 30 Sep 2008
I bought this alongside the Spanish Grammar book as they are both set books for the OU course. High St book shops are a lot more expensive,I saved £5.00!! Both books are set out in a really easy & logical format.
Highly recommended

10 Year olds love it, 14 Nov 2007
I bought it for our kids as a reference book. They sit and read it! The only thing is, it doesn't have the rude words in I remember looking up up as a child.

Also has handy 'usage' boxes which gives direction on how some words cam be used.

Well worth getting in my opinion.

Portable, handy, detailed., 08 Oct 2007
This is the first dictionary I reach for if I want to find a definition of a word. It's also the first book I reach for if I want information on a famous person, or need to know where a particular place is.

In short, it's a dictionary and encyclopedia in one very handy size.

Plus points:
> it's easy to find any of the 120,00 definitions: the letter markers are visible from the outside.
> includes a thorough mid-section on famous people and places
> plentiful grammar and usage boxes (e.g. between diffuse and defuse).

Oh yes, it's also less than £8. A literal bargain.

A favourable lexicon for the parsimonious consumer, 11 Aug 2007
A compendium of 120,000 definitions advances itself as an uncommonly intimidating treatise but, lo, I garnered the tenacity to venture forth on an arduous quest of nigh incomprehensible magnitude. My pursuits of rhetorical erudition were both prolonged and tortuous. Indeed, I must yield that the whimsy of surrender infrequently manifested itself as a courtesan of nectareous temptation. Fortuitously, my resolve was but consolidated when I observed a distention in the radius of my parlance and the tender allure of acquiescence was hastened asunder. Indeed, I can affirm without recourse to fallacy that the juncture of my undertakings culminated most expeditiously- prior to the desistance of the tertiary synodic month.

In short, this exhaustive scholastic glossary of the English idiom was most appeasing to my propensity for the conglomerative acquisition of wisdom (although my spouse Doreen has experienced sufficient discombobulation as to articulate the apprehension that my prevailing manner of discourse is akin to that of a bovine sphincter).

180,000 references. HardbackCollins English Dictionary has evolved into a glorious great slab of a reference book since its relatively modest first appearance in 1979. The 2003 version, rooted in the Bank of English, a 524-million word database launched in 1991, is the sixth edition.

Strong on clear definitions, derivations, cross-referencing, acronyms, technical and scientific terms and geographical place names, Collins English Dictionary also includes occasional boxed "language notes". Thus, for example, after "mitigate" we are usefully reminded that "Mitigate is sometimes used where militate is meant: 'His behaviour militates (not mitigates) against his chances of promotion.'" Interestingly, users of English are evidently becoming more relaxed about their language. Seventy words previously deemed taboo, including "arse," "crap" and "wank" are now described merely as slang. Perhaps rows of asterisks will soon be a thing of the past. Language changes continually and so do attitudes to it. There is a distinct sense of celebration in the latest Collins English Dictionary because English is one of the richest and most diverse of the world's languages and it is rapidly becoming a global lingua franca.

Jeremy Butterfield and his colleagues have made a splendid job of recording exactly where English is now. We may need to know what a "sex text" or a "dead-cat bounce" is today but, perhaps, in the quite near future such terms will fall out of use. That's why dictionaries need to be continuously updated, leaving earlier editions as reference works for language historians to study. It's also what makes dictionaries in general and Collins English Dictionary in particular so fascinating and why word lovers need the latest version on their shelves. --Susan Elkin

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Bought for OU Language Course 2008, 30 Sep 2008
I bought this alongside the Spanish Grammar book as they are both set books for the OU course. High St book shops are a lot more expensive,I saved £5.00!! Both books are set out in a really easy & logical format.
Highly recommended

10 Year olds love it, 14 Nov 2007
I bought it for our kids as a reference book. They sit and read it! The only thing is, it doesn't have the rude words in I remember looking up up as a child.

Also has handy 'usage' boxes which gives direction on how some words cam be used.

Well worth getting in my opinion.

Portable, handy, detailed., 08 Oct 2007
This is the first dictionary I reach for if I want to find a definition of a word. It's also the first book I reach for if I want information on a famous person, or need to know where a particular place is.

In short, it's a dictionary and encyclopedia in one very handy size.

Plus points:
> it's easy to find any of the 120,00 definitions: the letter markers are visible from the outside.
> includes a thorough mid-section on famous people and places
> plentiful grammar and usage boxes (e.g. between diffuse and defuse).

Oh yes, it's also less than £8. A literal bargain.

A favourable lexicon for the parsimonious consumer, 11 Aug 2007
A compendium of 120,000 definitions advances itself as an uncommonly intimidating treatise but, lo, I garnered the tenacity to venture forth on an arduous quest of nigh incomprehensible magnitude. My pursuits of rhetorical erudition were both prolonged and tortuous. Indeed, I must yield that the whimsy of surrender infrequently manifested itself as a courtesan of nectareous temptation. Fortuitously, my resolve was but consolidated when I observed a distention in the radius of my parlance and the tender allure of acquiescence was hastened asunder. Indeed, I can affirm without recourse to fallacy that the juncture of my undertakings culminated most expeditiously- prior to the desistance of the tertiary synodic month.

In short, this exhaustive scholastic glossary of the English idiom was most appeasing to my propensity for the conglomerative acquisition of wisdom (although my spouse Doreen has experienced sufficient discombobulation as to articulate the apprehension that my prevailing manner of discourse is akin to that of a bovine sphincter).

Not quite up to standards, 08 Aug 2008
After seeing the good reviews above I feel somewhat guilty about writing a less than glowing one. One of the main purposes of a dictionary is to fill in the gaps in vocabulary. However this dictionary has failed me on several occasions. Try to find the word 'discombobulate' and you will fail miserably. This is not the most obscure word in the English language and if I can't find a word I don't know what's the point in the dictionary?

My new best pal!, 31 Jan 2008
This is The Daddy! I compared this with Oxford, Chambers and Penguin and for me it came out a clear winner. Very clear and includes all those obscure words that the others overlook. It's great value at this price and eats crosswords for breakfast. Just don't drop it on your foot!

Perfect for scrabble and word games, 30 Oct 2007
THE definitive dictionary for all sorts of word games, but especially crosswords and scrabble. Every home should have one and every time I pick it up I discover a new word or one I'd forgotten!

Delightful - modern and new words, 20 Jul 2007
This Collins dictionary consists of mainly new words. There are some words that have been known for a very long time, such as 'devilish', but some fantastically new words!

What a delightful BOOK.
5-star read.

A dictionary's a dictionary, 06 Jul 2005
I think a dictionary's a dictionary, but this edition does have lots of new words, and a nice cover. What more do you want?!

Gem English Dictionary gives you practical, applied knowledge in your pocket.. With encyclopaedic supplement. 39,000 references. Paperback with vinyl cover. ISBN: 0-00-720877-4

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Bought for OU Language Course 2008, 30 Sep 2008
I bought this alongside the Spanish Grammar book as they are both set books for the OU course. High St book shops are a lot more expensive,I saved £5.00!! Both books are set out in a really easy & logical format.
Highly recommended

10 Year olds love it, 14 Nov 2007
I bought it for our kids as a reference book. They sit and read it! The only thing is, it doesn't have the rude words in I remember looking up up as a child.

Also has handy 'usage' boxes which gives direction on how some words cam be used.

Well worth getting in my opinion.

Portable, handy, detailed., 08 Oct 2007
This is the first dictionary I reach for if I want to find a definition of a word. It's also the first book I reach for if I want information on a famous person, or need to know where a particular place is.

In short, it's a dictionary and encyclopedia in one very handy size.

Plus points:
> it's easy to find any of the 120,00 definitions: the letter markers are visible from the outside.
> includes a thorough mid-section on famous people and places
> plentiful grammar and usage boxes (e.g. between diffuse and defuse).

Oh yes, it's also less than £8. A literal bargain.

A favourable lexicon for the parsimonious consumer, 11 Aug 2007
A compendium of 120,000 definitions advances itself as an uncommonly intimidating treatise but, lo, I garnered the tenacity to venture forth on an arduous quest of nigh incomprehensible magnitude. My pursuits of rhetorical erudition were both prolonged and tortuous. Indeed, I must yield that the whimsy of surrender infrequently manifested itself as a courtesan of nectareous temptation. Fortuitously, my resolve was but consolidated when I observed a distention in the radius of my parlance and the tender allure of acquiescence was hastened asunder. Indeed, I can affirm without recourse to fallacy that the juncture of my undertakings culminated most expeditiously- prior to the desistance of the tertiary synodic month.

In short, this exhaustive scholastic glossary of the English idiom was most appeasing to my propensity for the conglomerative acquisition of wisdom (although my spouse Doreen has experienced sufficient discombobulation as to articulate the apprehension that my prevailing manner of discourse is akin to that of a bovine sphincter).

Not quite up to standards, 08 Aug 2008
After seeing the good reviews above I feel somewhat guilty about writing a less than glowing one. One of the main purposes of a dictionary is to fill in the gaps in vocabulary. However this dictionary has failed me on several occasions. Try to find the word 'discombobulate' and you will fail miserably. This is not the most obscure word in the English language and if I can't find a word I don't know what's the point in the dictionary?

My new best pal!, 31 Jan 2008
This is The Daddy! I compared this with Oxford, Chambers and Penguin and for me it came out a clear winner. Very clear and includes all those obscure words that the others overlook. It's great value at this price and eats crosswords for breakfast. Just don't drop it on your foot!

Perfect for scrabble and word games, 30 Oct 2007
THE definitive dictionary for all sorts of word games, but especially crosswords and scrabble. Every home should have one and every time I pick it up I discover a new word or one I'd forgotten!

Delightful - modern and new words, 20 Jul 2007
This Collins dictionary consists of mainly new words. There are some words that have been known for a very long time, such as 'devilish', but some fantastically new words!

What a delightful BOOK.
5-star read.

A dictionary's a dictionary, 06 Jul 2005
I think a dictionary's a dictionary, but this edition does have lots of new words, and a nice cover. What more do you want?!

Not very castellano, 16 Jul 2007
Book is a good on getting refresh on verbs but I found there quite a many "errors" (not really errors but weird way of putting sentence together, looked like it was translated directly from English. I am not native English speaker so I spotted those). There was sentences is Spanish that you wouldn't say in castellano perhaps something that is common in Latin America.
IMHO If you want to learn castellano find some book written by Spanish but if you just want to play around verbs and get some refresh on Spanish I think this is ok.

One part of an excellent 3-book set., 14 Mar 2007
I also have the other two books in this series, 'Spanish Verb Tenses' and 'Spanish Prepositions & Pronouns'. The three together form a really first class set. This book, covering grammar, unavoidably duplicates considerable amounts of the other two but I wouldn't dissuade you from getting this one if you already have either or both of the others. Buy all three.

The tuition and exercises are presented clearly and in well structured form. There are answers to the questions in the back of the books. TIP! Don't do the exercises on the pages provided for your answers! I did - in pencil, fortunately - and spent ages rubbing out my answers when I realised I wanted to revise/recap. I would have needed an ocean of Tippex if I'd done them in ink.

No: do the tests on loose sheets or your pc. The answer pages in the back are perforated. This is very handy [other publishers note - do the same] because it means you can tear them all out, put them in a folder and avoid endless flipping back and forth between questions and answers. If you do your exercises on loose sheets, you can file them with the answer pages and monitor how well you're progressing.

I like the large format, too. It has enabled the publisher to lay the text out in a clear and logical way. The Oxford U.P. books are good, but the small format leads to a very dense and cramped presentation. These books are far superior in that respect.

I thoroughly recommend them.

Another learner, 05 Aug 2006
My level of Spanish is advanced -not fluent by any means- and I can say that this is a superbly laid out book from start to finish both for the complete beginner and the advanced student. However, I would suggest that if you're looking to learn Spanish make sure this is not your sole teacher. As you would expect it is full of grammar exercises which could become tiresome if like me you prefer to speak the language. But I divulge.. For what it is -a grammar book- it's very good indeed.

Fantastic!, 02 Feb 2005
This book is so good. The grammar points are explained very well and not in a 1,000 words, just enough for us to get the most of it. Plenty of exercises put the lessons in practice and when they are all done the lesson is understood and can be applied easily.
Moreover a lot of vocabulary is provided as well, so it is not a boring grammar book!
This book is perfect for poeple who want to master Spanish or just to catch the key feature of the grammar.

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Bought for OU Language Course 2008, 30 Sep 2008
I bought this alongside the Spanish Grammar book as they are both set books for the OU course. High St book shops are a lot more expensive,I saved £5.00!! Both books are set out in a really easy & logical format.
Highly recommended

10 Year olds love it, 14 Nov 2007
I bought it for our kids as a reference book. They sit and read it! The only thing is, it doesn't have the rude words in I remember looking up up as a child.

Also has handy 'usage' boxes which gives direction on how some words cam be used.

Well worth getting in my opinion.

Portable, handy, detailed., 08 Oct 2007
This is the first dictionary I reach for if I want to find a definition of a word. It's also the first book I reach for if I want information on a famous person, or need to know where a particular place is.

In short, it's a dictionary and encyclopedia in one very handy size.

Plus points:
> it's easy to find any of the 120,00 definitions: the letter markers are visible from the outside.
> includes a thorough mid-section on famous people and places
> plentiful grammar and usage boxes (e.g. between diffuse and defuse).

Oh yes, it's also less than £8. A literal bargain.

A favourable lexicon for the parsimonious consumer, 11 Aug 2007
A compendium of 120,000 definitions advances itself as an uncommonly intimidating treatise but, lo, I garnered the tenacity to venture forth on an arduous quest of nigh incomprehensible magnitude. My pursuits of rhetorical erudition were both prolonged and tortuous. Indeed, I must yield that the whimsy of surrender infrequently manifested itself as a courtesan of nectareous temptation. Fortuitously, my resolve was but consolidated when I observed a distention in the radius of my parlance and the tender allure of acquiescence was hastened asunder. Indeed, I can affirm without recourse to fallacy that the juncture of my undertakings culminated most expeditiously- prior to the desistance of the tertiary synodic month.

In short, this exhaustive scholastic glossary of the English idiom was most appeasing to my propensity for the conglomerative acquisition of wisdom (although my spouse Doreen has experienced sufficient discombobulation as to articulate the apprehension that my prevailing manner of discourse is akin to that of a bovine sphincter).

Not quite up to standards, 08 Aug 2008
After seeing the good reviews above I feel somewhat guilty about writing a less than glowing one. One of the main purposes of a dictionary is to fill in the gaps in vocabulary. However this dictionary has failed me on several occasions. Try to find the word 'discombobulate' and you will fail miserably. This is not the most obscure word in the English language and if I can't find a word I don't know what's the point in the dictionary?

My new best pal!, 31 Jan 2008
This is The Daddy! I compared this with Oxford, Chambers and Penguin and for me it came out a clear winner. Very clear and includes all those obscure words that the others overlook. It's great value at this price and eats crosswords for breakfast. Just don't drop it on your foot!

Perfect for scrabble and word games, 30 Oct 2007
THE definitive dictionary for all sorts of word games, but especially crosswords and scrabble. Every home should have one and every time I pick it up I discover a new word or one I'd forgotten!

Delightful - modern and new words, 20 Jul 2007
This Collins dictionary consists of mainly new words. There are some words that have been known for a very long time, such as 'devilish', but some fantastically new words!

What a delightful BOOK.
5-star read.

A dictionary's a dictionary, 06 Jul 2005
I think a dictionary's a dictionary, but this edition does have lots of new words, and a nice cover. What more do you want?!

Not very castellano, 16 Jul 2007
Book is a good on getting refresh on verbs but I found there quite a many "errors" (not really errors but weird way of putting sentence together, looked like it was translated directly from English. I am not native English speaker so I spotted those). There was sentences is Spanish that you wouldn't say in castellano perhaps something that is common in Latin America.
IMHO If you want to learn castellano find some book written by Spanish but if you just want to play around verbs and get some refresh on Spanish I think this is ok.

One part of an excellent 3-book set., 14 Mar 2007
I also have the other two books in this series, 'Spanish Verb Tenses' and 'Spanish Prepositions & Pronouns'. The three together form a really first class set. This book, covering grammar, unavoidably duplicates considerable amounts of the other two but I wouldn't dissuade you from getting this one if you already have either or both of the others. Buy all three.

The tuition and exercises are presented clearly and in well structured form. There are answers to the questions in the back of the books. TIP! Don't do the exercises on the pages provided for your answers! I did - in pencil, fortunately - and spent ages rubbing out my answers when I realised I wanted to revise/recap. I would have needed an ocean of Tippex if I'd done them in ink.

No: do the tests on loose sheets or your pc. The answer pages in the back are perforated. This is very handy [other publishers note - do the same] because it means you can tear them all out, put them in a folder and avoid endless flipping back and forth between questions and answers. If you do your exercises on loose sheets, you can file them with the answer pages and monitor how well you're progressing.

I like the large format, too. It has enabled the publisher to lay the text out in a clear and logical way. The Oxford U.P. books are good, but the small format leads to a very dense and cramped presentation. These books are far superior in that respect.

I thoroughly recommend them.

Another learner, 05 Aug 2006
My level of Spanish is advanced -not fluent by any means- and I can say that this is a superbly laid out book from start to finish both for the complete beginner and the advanced student. However, I would suggest that if you're looking to learn Spanish make sure this is not your sole teacher. As you would expect it is full of grammar exercises which could become tiresome if like me you prefer to speak the language. But I divulge.. For what it is -a grammar book- it's very good indeed.

Fantastic!, 02 Feb 2005
This book is so good. The grammar points are explained very well and not in a 1,000 words, just enough for us to get the most of it. Plenty of exercises put the lessons in practice and when they are all done the lesson is understood and can be applied easily.
Moreover a lot of vocabulary is provided as well, so it is not a boring grammar book!
This book is perfect for poeple who want to master Spanish or just to catch the key feature of the grammar.

Quality keeps on improving!, 18 Jun 2007
I have a copy of a previous edition of this 'easy learning' dictionary and a friend has the penultimate one to this latest copy. As such, I feel well-versed to comment...
This new release is excellent. My wife and I, both in our 50's, are learning the language and we find this dictionary more than just a resource for looking up the meaning of words. It is a big help to us with our verb tables, especially the tenses and gives good grammatical breakdowns on many aspects of the language.
Perhaps if there was more help with pronounciations, it could claim to be a language course in one book. But that aside, it is very, very, good value and we both love referring to it at every opportunity. Definitely five stars from us!

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Bought for OU Language Course 2008, 30 Sep 2008
I bought this alongside the Spanish Grammar book as they are both set books for the OU course. High St book shops are a lot more expensive,I saved £5.00!! Both books are set out in a really easy & logical format.
Highly recommended

10 Year olds love it, 14 Nov 2007
I bought it for our kids as a reference book. They sit and read it! The only thing is, it doesn't have the rude words in I remember looking up up as a child.

Also has handy 'usage' boxes which gives direction on how some words cam be used.

Well worth getting in my opinion.

Portable, handy, detailed., 08 Oct 2007
This is the first dictionary I reach for if I want to find a definition of a word. It's also the first book I reach for if I want information on a famous person, or need to know where a particular place is.

In short, it's a dictionary and encyclopedia in one very handy size.

Plus points:
> it's easy to find any of the 120,00 definitions: the letter markers are visible from the outside.
> includes a thorough mid-section on famous people and places
> plentiful grammar and usage boxes (e.g. between diffuse and defuse).

Oh yes, it's also less than £8. A literal bargain.

A favourable lexicon for the parsimonious consumer, 11 Aug 2007
A compendium of 120,000 definitions advances itself as an uncommonly intimidating treatise but, lo, I garnered the tenacity to venture forth on an arduous quest of nigh incomprehensible magnitude. My pursuits of rhetorical erudition were both prolonged and tortuous. Indeed, I must yield that the whimsy of surrender infrequently manifested itself as a courtesan of nectareous temptation. Fortuitously, my resolve was but consolidated when I observed a distention in the radius of my parlance and the tender allure of acquiescence was hastened asunder. Indeed, I can affirm without recourse to fallacy that the juncture of my undertakings culminated most expeditiously- prior to the desistance of the tertiary synodic month.

In short, this exhaustive scholastic glossary of the English idiom was most appeasing to my propensity for the conglomerative acquisition of wisdom (although my spouse Doreen has experienced sufficient discombobulation as to articulate the apprehension that my prevailing manner of discourse is akin to that of a bovine sphincter).

Not quite up to standards, 08 Aug 2008
After seeing the good reviews above I feel somewhat guilty about writing a less than glowing one. One of the main purposes of a dictionary is to fill in the gaps in vocabulary. However this dictionary has failed me on several occasions. Try to find the word 'discombobulate' and you will fail miserably. This is not the most obscure word in the English language and if I can't find a word I don't know what's the point in the dictionary?

My new best pal!, 31 Jan 2008
This is The Daddy! I compared this with Oxford, Chambers and Penguin and for me it came out a clear winner. Very clear and includes all those obscure words that the others overlook. It's great value at this price and eats crosswords for breakfast. Just don't drop it on your foot!

Perfect for scrabble and word games, 30 Oct 2007
THE definitive dictionary for all sorts of word games, but especially crosswords and scrabble. Every home should have one and every time I pick it up I discover a new word or one I'd forgotten!

Delightful - modern and new words, 20 Jul 2007
This Collins dictionary consists of mainly new words. There are some words that have been known for a very long time, such as 'devilish', but some fantastically new words!

What a delightful BOOK.
5-star read.

A dictionary's a dictionary, 06 Jul 2005
I think a dictionary's a dictionary, but this edition does have lots of new words, and a nice cover. What more do you want?!

Not very castellano, 16 Jul 2007
Book is a good on getting refresh on verbs but I found there quite a many "errors" (not really errors but weird way of putting sentence together, looked like it was translated directly from English. I am not native English speaker so I spotted those). There was sentences is Spanish that you wouldn't say in castellano perhaps something that is common in Latin America.
IMHO If you want to learn castellano find some book written by Spanish but if you just want to play around verbs and get some refresh on Spanish I think this is ok.

One part of an excellent 3-book set., 14 Mar 2007
I also have the other two books in this series, 'Spanish Verb Tenses' and 'Spanish Prepositions & Pronouns'. The three together form a really first class set. This book, covering grammar, unavoidably duplicates considerable amounts of the other two but I wouldn't dissuade you from getting this one if you already have either or both of the others. Buy all three.

The tuition and exercises are presented clearly and in well structured form. There are answers to the questions in the back of the books. TIP! Don't do the exercises on the pages provided for your answers! I did - in pencil, fortunately - and spent ages rubbing out my answers when I realised I wanted to revise/recap. I would have needed an ocean of Tippex if I'd done them in ink.

No: do the tests on loose sheets or your pc. The answer pages in the back are perforated. This is very handy [other publishers note - do the same] because it means you can tear them all out, put them in a folder and avoid endless flipping back and forth between questions and answers. If you do your exercises on loose sheets, you can file them with the answer pages and monitor how well you're progressing.

I like the large format, too. It has enabled the publisher to lay the text out in a clear and logical way. The Oxford U.P. books are good, but the small format leads to a very dense and cramped presentation. These books are far superior in that respect.

I thoroughly recommend them.

Another learner, 05 Aug 2006
My level of Spanish is advanced -not fluent by any means- and I can say that this is a superbly laid out book from start to finish both for the complete beginner and the advanced student. However, I would suggest that if you're looking to learn Spanish make sure this is not your sole teacher. As you would expect it is full of grammar exercises which could become tiresome if like me you prefer to speak the language. But I divulge.. For what it is -a grammar book- it's very good indeed.

Fantastic!, 02 Feb 2005
This book is so good. The grammar points are explained very well and not in a 1,000 words, just enough for us to get the most of it. Plenty of exercises put the lessons in practice and when they are all done the lesson is understood and can be applied easily.
Moreover a lot of vocabulary is provided as well, so it is not a boring grammar book!
This book is perfect for poeple who want to master Spanish or just to catch the key feature of the grammar.

Quality keeps on improving!, 18 Jun 2007
I have a copy of a previous edition of this 'easy learning' dictionary and a friend has the penultimate one to this latest copy. As such, I feel well-versed to comment...
This new release is excellent. My wife and I, both in our 50's, are learning the language and we find this dictionary more than just a resource for looking up the meaning of words. It is a big help to us with our verb tables, especially the tenses and gives good grammatical breakdowns on many aspects of the language.
Perhaps if there was more help with pronounciations, it could claim to be a language course in one book. But that aside, it is very, very, good value and we both love referring to it at every opportunity. Definitely five stars from us!

Highly recommended, 19 Aug 2008
Can't recommend this enough, if you can learn the verbs you can master the language. Easy to find verbs in all the tenses, handy little tips and explanations. Wish I'd had this when I did my GCSE, would have made studying easier. It comes with a CD that has drills and tests. If you are learning the language, this is a good start.

The Bible, 31 Jul 2007
This book is truly the bible if you are studying Spanish. Not just verbs, great exercises and tips at the back. An absolute must for students of Spanish!!!

Spanish homework, 24 Nov 2006
I am learning Spanish at college and I could not have managed my homework without this book of verbs - a great book for anyone who needs to conjugate verbs (with all tenses made very clear).

genius, 20 Aug 2006
i love this book, i used it for everything i ever wrote while studying spanish Alevel, and used the equivalent french 501 just as much.

kendris and kendris were legend amoungst my fellow language learners..what would we of done without them?

I've owned this book for 3 years now., 06 Oct 2005
And I never go to Spain without it in my luggage! I know enough to leave behind the dictionary more often than not, but not this book. It's the most useful of all the titles that I've bought to help me with my studies. It's well-thumbed and getting dog-eared, which shows just how much it is used. Everyone I've come across in class who possesses this 501 Spanish Verb book says the same, and I've never seen one in immaculate condition (so watch out if you're buying secondhand!)

This is a comprehensive list of verbs, set out simply for easy reference, with understandable explanations for the meaning of each tense covered. Colloquial expressions used with each verb are covered. Maybe it's just that it suits my style of learning but if that were the case then I don't think I'd find so many others carrying it about - it's pretty bulky and heavy for a paperback! I really like this book!

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LLB(Hons) OU Law course and have used this many times. Great for any student studying Law at GCSE or LLB.

Great Stuff!!!

Love it!!!!!, 10 Jan 2008
No law student should be without a law dictionary... I bought this one last September because the last edition couldn't take another year of use!

Use my dictionary all the time, first place I go for every form of work!

Not so useful for Scottish Law Students, 14 Dec 2007
Hmm... The differences in terminology between the Scots and English Law systems is very evident in this book. I've owned it for 18 months, and more often than not it doesn't have what I need.

There are better (free!) online legal dictionary services.

Excellent - even my boss think's it's great!, 05 Oct 2003
I recently started work as a Legal Secretary for a firm of solicitors and wanted a book which gives the correct spellings and meanings of legal terms - this does the job perfectly. I refer to it a lot and my boss, a Partner in the firm, is so impressed with it that even he refers to it from time to time! It is well deserving of five stars.

Bought for OU Language Course 2008, 30 Sep 2008
I bought this alongside the Spanish Grammar book as they are both set books for the OU course. High St book shops are a lot more expensive,I saved £5.00!! Both books are set out in a really easy & logical format.
Highly recommended

10 Year olds love it, 14 Nov 2007
I bought it for our kids as a reference book. They sit and read it! The only thing is, it doesn't have the rude words in I remember looking up up as a child.

Also has handy 'usage' boxes which gives direction on how some words cam be used.

Well worth getting in my opinion.

Portable, handy, detailed., 08 Oct 2007
This is the first dictionary I reach for if I want to find a definition of a word. It's also the first book I reach for if I want information on a famous person, or need to know where a particular place is.

In short, it's a dictionary and encyclopedia in one very handy size.

Plus points:
> it's easy to find any of the 120,00 definitions: the letter markers are visible from the outside.
> includes a thorough mid-section on famous people and places
> plentiful grammar and usage boxes (e.g. between diffuse and defuse).

Oh yes, it's also less than £8. A literal bargain.

A favourable lexicon for the parsimonious consumer, 11 Aug 2007
A compendium of 120,000 definitions advances itself as an uncommonly intimidating treatise but, lo, I garnered the tenacity to venture forth on an arduous quest of nigh incomprehensible magnitude. My pursuits of rhetorical erudition were both prolonged and tortuous. Indeed, I must yield that the whimsy of surrender infrequently manifested itself as a courtesan of nectareous temptation. Fortuitously, my resolve was but consolidated when I observed a distention in the radius of my parlance and the tender allure of acquiescence was hastened asunder. Indeed, I can affirm without recourse to fallacy that the juncture of my undertakings culminated most expeditiously- prior to the desistance of the tertiary synodic month.

In short, this exhaustive scholastic glossary of the English idiom was most appeasing to my propensity for the conglomerative acquisition of wisdom (although my spouse Doreen has experienced sufficient discombobulation as to articulate the apprehension that my prevailing manner of discourse is akin to that of a bovine sphincter).

Not quite up to standards, 08 Aug 2008
After seeing the good reviews above I feel somewhat guilty about writing a less than glowing one. One of the main purposes of a dictionary is to fill in the gaps in vocabulary. However this dictionary has failed me on several occasions. Try to find the word 'discombobulate' and you will fail miserably. This is not the most obscure word in the English language and if I can't find a word I don't know what's the point in the dictionary?

My new best pal!, 31 Jan 2008
This is The Daddy! I compared this with Oxford, Chambers and Penguin and for me it came out a clear winner. Very clear and includes all those obscure words that the others overlook. It's great value at this price and eats crosswords for breakfast. Just don't drop it on your foot!

Perfect for scrabble and word games, 30 Oct 2007
THE definitive dictionary for all sorts of word games, but especially crosswords and scrabble. Every home should have one and every time I pick it up I discover a new word or one I'd forgotten!

Delightful - modern and new words, 20 Jul 2007
This Collins dictionary consists of mainly new words. There are some words that have been known for a very long time, such as 'devilish', but some fantastically new words!

What a delightful BOOK.
5-star read.

A dictionary's a dictionary, 06 Jul 2005
I think a dictionary's a dictionary, but this edition does have lots of new words, and a nice cover. What more do you want?!

Not very castellano, 16 Jul 2007
Book is a good on getting refresh on verbs but I found there quite a many "errors" (not really errors but weird way of putting sentence together, looked like it was translated directly from English. I am not native English speaker so I spotted those). There was sentences is Spanish that you wouldn't say in castellano perhaps something that is common in Latin America.
IMHO If you want to learn castellano find some book written by Spanish but if you just want to play around verbs and get some refresh on Spanish I think this is ok.

One part of an excellent 3-book set., 14 Mar 2007
I also have the other two books in this series, 'Spanish Verb Tenses' and 'Spanish Prepositions & Pronouns'. The three together form a really first class set. This book, covering grammar, unavoidably duplicates considerable amounts of the other two but I wouldn't dissuade you from getting this one if you already have either or both of the others. Buy all three.

The tuition and exercises are presented clearly and in well structured form. There are answers to the questions in the back of the books. TIP! Don't do the exercises on the pages provided for your answers! I did - in pencil, fortunately - and spent ages rubbing out my answers when I realised I wanted to revise/recap. I would have needed an ocean of Tippex if I'd done them in ink.

No: do the tests on loose sheets or your pc. The answer pages in the back are perforated. This is very handy [other publishers note - do the same] because it means you can tear them all out, put them in a folder and avoid endless flipping back and forth between questions and answers. If you do your exercises on loose sheets, you can file them with the answer pages and monitor how well you're progressing.

I like the large format, too. It has enabled the publisher to lay the text out in a clear and logical way. The Oxford U.P. books are good, but the small format leads to a very dense and cramped presentation. These books are far superior in that respect.

I thoroughly recommend them.

Another learner, 05 Aug 2006
My level of Spanish is advanced -not fluent by any means- and I can say that this is a superbly laid out book from start to finish both for the complete beginner and the advanced student. However, I would suggest that if you're looking to learn Spanish make sure this is not your sole teacher. As you would expect it is full of grammar exercises which could become tiresome if like me you prefer to speak the language. But I divulge.. For what it is -a grammar book- it's very good indeed.

Fantastic!, 02 Feb 2005
This book is so good. The grammar points are explained very well and not in a 1,000 words, just enough for us to get the most of it. Plenty of exercises put the lessons in practice and when they are all done the lesson is understood and can be applied easily.
Moreover a lot of vocabulary is provided as well, so it is not a boring grammar book!
This book is perfect for poeple who want to master Spanish or just to catch the key feature of the grammar.

Quality keeps on improving!, 18 Jun 2007
I have a copy of a previous edition of this 'easy learning' dictionary and a friend has the penultimate one to this latest copy. As such, I feel well-versed to comment...
This new release is excellent. My wife and I, both in our 50's, are learning the language and we find this dictionary more than just a resource for looking up the meaning of words. It is a big help to us with our verb tables, especially the tenses and gives good grammatical breakdowns on many aspects of the language.
Perhaps if there was more help with pronounciations, it could claim to be a language course in one book. But that aside, it is very, very, good value and we both love referring to it at every opportunity. Definitely five stars from us!

Highly recommended, 19 Aug 2008
Can't recommend this enough, if you can learn the verbs you can master the language. Easy to find verbs in all the tenses, handy little tips and explanations. Wish I'd had this when I did my GCSE, would have made studying easier. It comes with a CD that has drills and tests. If you are learning the language, this is a good start.

The Bible, 31 Jul 2007
This book is truly the bible if you are studying Spanish. Not just verbs, great exercises and tips at the back. An absolute must for students of Spanish!!!

Spanish homework, 24 Nov 2006
I am learning Spanish at college and I could not have managed my homework without this book of verbs - a great book for anyone who needs to conjugate verbs (with all tenses made very clear).

genius, 20 Aug 2006
i love this book, i used it for everything i ever wrote while studying spanish Alevel, and used the equivalent french 501 just as much.

kendris and kendris were legend amoungst my fellow language learners..what would we of done without them?

I've owned this book for 3 years now., 06 Oct 2005
And I never go to Spain without it in my luggage! I know enough to leave behind the dictionary more often than not, but not this book. It's the most useful of all the titles that I've bought to help me with my studies. It's well-thumbed and getting dog-eared, which shows just how much it is used. Everyone I've come across in class who possesses this 501 Spanish Verb book says the same, and I've never seen one in immaculate condition (so watch out if you're buying secondhand!)

This is a comprehensive list of verbs, set out simply for easy reference, with understandable explanations for the meaning of each tense covered. Colloquial expressions used with each verb are covered. Maybe it's just that it suits my style of learning but if that were the case then I don't think I'd find so many others carrying it about - it's pretty bulky and heavy for a paperback! I really like this book!

Excellent, 30 Nov 2006
I am a Paramedic & find this to be an invaluable reference that is small enough to be carried around. It explains things clearly & simply, so would also be useful for the layperson.

A good introduction but I'm sure there are better out there, 16 Aug 2006
I am presently studying a Pitmans Medical Secretarial and Audio Transcription course and was given this dictionary as part of my course.I already have a knowledge of (human) biology so know a lot of the terminology and their meanings but am obviously coming across a lot of terminology I am not familiar with and which are not in the book but their abbreviations are.This I am finding confusing because I am not sure if the abbreviation has the same meaning as the word I am meant to use and find myself a majority of the time 'googling' for the word and terminology or using an online medical dictionary which at times does not have the words I am looking for either.There are a lot of words missing that I feel should be there such as 'radius' and 'ulna' and other body parts and there are words in the dictionary I personally don't think should be there such as 'cyberstalking' and 'e-mail'.The advantage with this book is its size and the hardwearing plastic cover-a good size for both the pocket and bag but I am sure there are other and better medical dictionaries available which I myself will look for.I have given this book 3 out 5 because it is a good introduction if a person is starting out as either a medical secretary or in the medical profession but I would strongly recommend looking for and purchasing a better medical dictionary, even if it is larger than this particular book.Hopefully the 25th edition will be better revised.

Bailliere's Nurses Dictionary, 07 Dec 2005
As an Occupational Therapist of many years I still constantly come across terminology that leaves my head spinning! This dictionary is invaluable in helping me to understand what problems some of my clients might face thus helping me to help them. I find that my students also find it useful.

A god send!, 02 Jan 2005
I bought this because I am doing a reflexology course and found that some words in my anatomy and physiology books just dont make sense! This is an absolute god send, it explains words in laymans terms. I dont know what I would have done without it.

Even us scientists need help!, 12 Jul 2004
As a Biomedical scientist working in a medical laboratory, you will often find yourself coming across terms that are either new to you or which you know but do not fully understand. A copy of Baillierie's Nurses' Dictionary was purchased for me at Christmas and I can trully say that it has been the most useful present, which I have received. There are still some terms missing, which would come in useful but I'm sure will be added in future editions, but for the size of book has an amazing amount of content with the addition of some useful appendices. Recommended for nurses and anyone who needs to come to terms with medical terminology (including scientists).

Interesting. Amusing. Ideal for dipping into., 12 Oct 2008
This book is simply a collection of amusing quotations from the famous - and the not so famous. It doesn't really appear to have anything more to do with QI than having the series name on the cover. It's a great book for dipping into but hardly something you'll want to tirelessly read from cover to cover. Ideal as a bathroom reader or to amuse others with.

And I quote..., 10 Oct 2008
Ever stumbled a cross a quote or saying that rang so true, you've decided to write it down and tuck in a pocket for future reference? Well, this book's full of them.
Quotes are powerful things. They can make us happy, sad, laugh, cry, can comfort us, annoy us...the list goes on. As such, this book is a rollercoaster of opinions and witticisms, some of which are infamous, some of which are lesser known.
It's difficult to review such a book because...well...it's a bit of a nothingness. It is, quite simply, a collection of quotes from famous people, A-Z by subject. That's it. The overall product feels rushed, too - on my first thumb through, I noticed 3 spelling errors! - and I don't appreciate having the QI brand slapped on it. A foreword by Fry it may have, but it has very little to do with the show.
That said, is does what it's meant to do, and it does it well - it's a big volume, the kind that warrants dipping into, despite perhaps not seeming to be great value at first, I can imagine this book lasting years, always worth opening up to find a quote to inspire (or infuriate) you.

Excellent, 25 Mar 2008
I have studied all aspects of Tort, Family, Business, Criminal, Property, Land, Contract Law and Civil and Criminal Litigation at Level 3 and every word I have wanted to look up has been in this dictionary. It has been my life line throughout my studies. A must have for all law students at every level.

Excellent for Uni Students (Year 1 and 2), 26 Jan 2008
I have just started my LL