A Dictionary of Idioms. Cihai Edition. First Edition

Author: Wen Duanzheng, Wen Shuyan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-07-01
Features: A proverb is a type of set phrase. It consists of two parts, often using puns based on homophones or semantic double meanings to convey meaning. This book collects common proverbs and can meet general reading needs.
I. Headings. This book includes over 2,000 entries, divided into main entries and "also known as" entries. Main entries are the basic forms of proverbs, with explanations and illustrative examples; "also known as" entries are alternative forms of main entries, with the same or nearly the same meaning as the main entries and are not further explained. All entries use original characters, with homophones annotated in the explanations; example sentences retain their original format without changes. Commas are used uniformly between the two parts of an entry; in example sentences, commas or em dashes are used as originally written without changes.
II. Typography. The fonts used in this book follow the "General Table of Simplified Characters" compiled by the National Language and Character Working Committee and the "List for the Standardization of Variant Characters" jointly issued by the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China and the Committee for the Reform of Chinese Characters.
III. Pronunciation. Obscure characters in entries are annotated with Pinyin; easily misread characters have their correct pronunciations indicated along with warnings about incorrect pronunciations to avoid.
IV. Definitions. This book focuses on revealing the puns (homophonic or semantic) used in proverbs to explain their original and pragmatic meanings.
V. Example Sentences. Each proverb is accompanied by example sentences to illustrate its meaning and usage. Most example sentences are sourced and referenced, with "" (newspaper) or "" (journal) noted for brevity.
VI. Arrangement. Entries are arranged in the order of Pinyin. Entries with different first characters are ordered by the sound of the first character. Entries with the same first character are ordered by stroke count, with fewer strokes listed first. Entries with the same first and second characters are ordered by the sound of the third character, and so on.
VII. Index. An index of stroke counts for the first characters of entries is provided at the end of the book for reference.