Speeches and Notable Quotations
From Simmons Library Research Guides
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Speeches
- American Rhetoric
Free Online
A database of more than 5,000 speeches, in audio format, fulltext, or video.
- Lend Me Your Ears: Great Speeches in History
Level 1 Reference PN6122 .L4 1992 and Free Online (1997 edition)
This is a collection of speeches from all eras of Western History, selected and introduced by Safire, a former presidential speechwriter, based on his standards for a "great speech" (see page 21). The speeches are organized by type, including Memorials and Patriotic Speeches, Media Speeches, Political Speeches, Sermons, and Commencement Speeches. Check the index for speaker's names, subject matter, and famous lines.
- Masterpieces of Negro Eloquence: The Best Speeches Delivered by the Negro from the Days of Slavery to the Present Time (1818-1913)
Level 1 Reference E185 M37 1997 and Free Online
Originally published in 1914, this is a collection of addresses and speeches by prominent African-Americans from the 19th and early 20th century (1818-1913). The index provides access to the speeches by speakers and subject matter.
- Speech Index
Level 1 Reference AI3 .S85
This is a useful tool to help locate the full text of speeches in different collections. Speeches can be searched by speechmaker, subject, or type of speech, with the page number and name of the source given for each.
- Voices of Multicultural America: Notable Speeches Delivered by African, Asian, Hispanic, and Native Americans 1790-1995
Level 1 Reference PS663.M55 V64 1996
The speeches in this volume represent diverse voices from different regions, fields, and backgrounds, speaking about a wide range of topics, including the sciences, humanities, social issues, and events current to their times. The transcriptions of each speech are preceded by a biographical sketch of the speaker, historical background, and the significance or impact of the speech. For specific searches, note that the book's Ethnicity Index allows access to speechmakers by ethnic or tribal affiliations, while the Speech Category Index organizes the speeches by topic.
- Speeches on the Web
Transcripts, streaming audio, and even video of many speeches are available online:- Search a key phrase in the speech, the title, or the speakers name and the word "speech" plus the name of the occasion for the speech to find them.
- Try searching the Speeches Google Custom Search Engine by keyword, speaker, or occasion to uncover speech transcripts, audio, and video in free online collections:
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Quotations
- African American Quotations
Level 1 Reference PN6081.3 .A36 1998
This is a collection of over 2500 African American quotations from the 18th century to the present, some famous and others lesser known, but all judged by the editor to be "arresting, striking, attention-getting, memorable" (page XVI). The Subject, Names and Occupations indexes help to locate specific quotes.
- Beacon Book of Quotations by Women
Level 1 Reference PN6081.5 .B43 1992
A comprehensive collection of quotes by women from around the world, this book includes over 5000 quotations on over 800 different subjects. Many of the quotes are unique to this collection, and were never before included in a book of quotations. The quotes are organized by subject, but the Name Index provides access by authors' names.
- Bloomsbury Biographical Dictionary of Quotations
Level 1 Reference HM251 .M5313 1969
This dictionary includes over 10,000 quotes and other "perceptive or witty sayings" from throughout history all the way to the present. The entries are organized by the author's name, and each includes the author's years of birth and death along with a few words about their occupation. The collection include both famous and unfamiliar sayings, some from literature and others reflecting contemporary issues.
- Facts on File Dictionary of Proverbs
Level 1 Reference PN6421 .M36 2002
Proverbs are brief sayings that "express a general truth about life"; some are easily understood, but others can be quite obscure. This handy dictionary lists over 1500 of these popular sayings, each with a definition, usage examples, origins, and variants. It is a useful tool for understanding unfamiliar expressions or learning the history of very familiar ones.
- Bartlett's Familiar Quotations
Level 1 Reference PN6081 .B27 2002 (17th Edition) and Free Online (10th Edition)
This reliable volume includes thousands of quotes by an array of diverse authors. This book primarily includes quotes pulled from literary sources, ancient to contemporary; however, recent editions have begun to include other expressions of popular culture, like television, movies and current events.
- Feminist Quotations: Voices of Rebels, Reformers, and Visionaries
Level 1 Reference HQ1154 .F448 1979
- My Soul Looks Back, 'Less I Forget
Level 1 Reference PN6081.3 .M9 1993
This is a unique source in its focus on quotes by African Americans and other people of color from ancient times through the present. Arranged alphabetically by subject, the 7000 quotes include lesser known figures along with famous names.
- A New Dictionary of Quotations on Historical Principles from Ancient and Modern Sources
Level 1 Reference PN6081 .M49 1991
This dictionary of quotations places great emphasis on the date and location where a quote first appeared or was spoken. The quotes arranged by very specific and thus quite numerous subject headings for greater ease in finding sayings of interest.
- Quotable Woman and New Quotable Woman
Level 1 Reference PN6081.5 .Q632
The quotes in this book span an enormous era from 2300BC to the present. The book is organized chronologically by the woman's birth year, and then alphabetically within that year. The biographical, subject, career and occupation, and ethnicity and nationality indexes at the back of the book are quite useful for finding specific individuals or quotes. To understand the author's criteria for inclusion, see page xv of the Introduction.
- Oxford Dictionary of Phrase, Saying, and Quotation
Level 1 Reference PN6080 .O945 2006
This is a large collection of sayings of all types and from around the globe, arranged by subject or theme. A substantial keyword index helps users find quotes on additional topics. Also of particular interest is the cross-referencing that traces the origins and relationships between some of the sayings.
- Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
Level 1 Reference PN6081 .O9 and Simmons Eresource
This great collection offers a wide range of quotations, from the traditional to the recent. The Dictionary organizes the quotations by type, including among others: Advertising Slogans, Film Lines, Mottoes, Misquotations, and Prayers. Each quotation includes a full citation and/or relevant context. For greater ease of use, Thematic and Keyword indexes are included at the end.
- Quoteland
Free Online
One of the earliest web sites of quotes, Quoteland is a good resource for getting more information about specific quotes, either through a keyword search of important words or by posting to the forums. It also allows for searches by authors and browsing through the quotes by topic. The primary focus is "not to repeat "the classics" over and over and over, it's to get useful, on-topic, quotes for people's work". There is also a small collection of historical documents, "Great Speeches", and audio clips of famous speeches and popular media.
- Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations Requested from the Congressional Research Service
Simmons Eresource and Free Online
Since the early 20th century, the Congressional Research Service has been responding to Congressional inquiries about quotations. This dictionary pulls the most interesting statements from these many years of research, many of which have been used over the years in American political debate.
- Simpson's Contemporary Quotations
Level 1 Reference PN6083 .S53 1997
This is an excellent resource for quotes from the last 50 years, with a special emphasis on the last 60s through 80s. Each quote is carefully documented with the date and circumstances surrounding the saying.
- Quotations on the Web
The Web is a great place to find quotations:- A simple phrase search in a search engine will often yield the source of a quotation.
- Searching a word or words that describes the theme for which you need the quotation, or the name of the person from whom you need the quotation, plus the word "quotation" will often yield results.
- Be extra careful of the accuracy of the information about quotations that you find on the Web. Because it may be difficult to trust that the quotation is attributed to the correct person, or even that the quotation itself is completely accurate, it is sometimes a good idea to verify what you find on a Website of unclear authority in another, more trusted source.
- You may also consider using this Quotations Google Custom Search box which searches online collections of quotations selected for their reliability by Simmons Librarians:
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Sayings and Aphorisms
- Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
Level 1 Reference PN43 .B75 1999 and Free Online
- Clichés: Over 1500 Phrases Explored and Explained
Level 1 Reference PE1689 .K48 1997
An easy to use dictionary of almost all of the most frequently used clichés of the English language, such as "absence makes the heart grow fonder" and "every cloud has a silver lining." Each entry provides a definition, examples of use, a brief description of the origins of the cliché, and other notes about use.
- Dictionary of Foreign Phrases and Classical Quotations
Level 1 Reference PN6080 .J6
A dictionary of foreign quotations, phrases, and proverbs in Latin, Greek, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese. The book is organized according to language, and each phrase is listed alphabetically.
- Early American Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Level 1 Reference PN6426 .W55
Structured similarly to a dictionary, this work provides detailed explanations of some of the most popular proverbs and proverbial phrases from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Each entry provides examples and citations of when and where each proverb was used, and by whom.
- Oxford Book of Aphorisms
Level 1 Reference PN6271 .O9 1983
Some of the most profound thoughts and quotations have been expressed in form of aphorisms, which are acute observations conveying a general truth, such as, "absolute power corrupts absolutely." This book organizes aphorisms according to topic, such as "fame and reputation" and "good and evil," and each entry provides the aphorism with the author and the work it can be found in.
- Oxford Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English
Level 1 Reference PE1580 .C69
Being familiar with the English language means being fluent in idioms. This comprehensive, well-organized resource provides dictionary definitions of idiomatic expressions such as "hit the nail on the head" and "fishing for compliments." Each entry includes a definition and examples of use.
- Racial Proverbs
Level 1 Reference PN6405 .C37
Lists the most frequently used proverbs from countries all over the world, including Russia, England, Chile, Turkey, and China as well as many more. Each proverb is organized alphabetically by the main topic, such as anger or eating, and all are organized by country. It should be noted that while this is an incredibly useful resource, it was originally written in 1938, and contains some outdated language and geographical facts.
