Home | Blog | Contact Us | FAQ's | Buy Printed Editions | Links

New to iPhone…

What is a ham-and-egger?

What are Anglo-Saxon attitudes?

Who first tried to nail jelly to the wall?

The answers to these and many more questions are in this fascinating iPhone App – ‘Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable’.

Here, you can track down the stories behind the names and sayings you meet, whether in classic literature or today’s news.

This authoritative dictionary draws on Oxford’s unrivalled bank of reference and language online resources to cover classical and other mythologies, history, religion, folk customs, superstitions, science and technology, philosophy, and popular culture. Extensive cross referencing makes it easy to trace specific information, while every page points to further paths to explore.

  • Explores a wealth of cultural reference
  • The real stories behind the names and sayings
  • From mythology to genetic engineering
  • Organized for easy navigation between related entries

Ask yourself :

  • What is the fog of war?
  • Who first wanted to spend more time with one’s family?
  • When was the Dreamtime?
  • How long since the first cry of Women and children first?
  • Where might you find dark matter?
  • Would you want the Midas touch?
  • Should you worry about grey goo?

Cutting Edge iPhone reference App specially designed for the iPhone & iPod Touch and the Oxford Paperback Reference series

Available on iTunes: http://su.pr/2hPiZd


Just launched on the iPhone… an easy-to-use, information-packed, authoritative reference on the modern Islamic world by the bestselling and expert author of What Everyone needs to Know about Islam.

This superb Oxford Dictionary provides more than 2,000 vividly written and up-to-date entries:

  • Part of the market-leading Oxford Paperback Reference series the Dictionary focuses primarily on the 19th and 20th centuries, stressing topics of most interest to Westerners.
  • A highly informative look at the religious, political, and social spheres of the modern Islamic world. Naturally, readers will find many entries on topics of intense current interest, such as terrorism and the Taliban, Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida, the PLO and HAMAS. But the coverage goes well beyond recent headlines.
  • There are biographical profiles, ranging from Naguib Mahfouz (the Nobel Prize winner from Egypt) to Malcolm X, including political leaders, influential thinkers, poets, scientists, and writers.
  • Other entries cover major political movements, militant groups, and religious sects as well as terms from Islamic law, culture, and religion, key historical events, and important landmarks (such as Mecca and Medina).
  • A series of entries looks at Islam in individual nations, such as Afghanistan, the West Bank and Gaza, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the United States, and there are discussions of Islamic views on such issues as abortion, birth control, the Internet, the Rushdie Affair, and the theory of evolution. Whether we are listening to the evening news, or reading a book on current events, references to Muslims and the Islamic world appear at every turn.

The Oxford Dictionary of Islam offers a wealth of information for anyone curious about this burgeoning and increasingly important world religion.

Available on iTunes: http://su.pr/1X1jRy


We just launched an essential new Buddhism Reference App on the iPhone.

The App covers beliefs, doctrines, concepts, schools, sects, practices, major texts, major historical scholars, place names, artefacts and contemporary issues. Provides chronology of important dates, pronunciation guide, and guide to canonical scriptures

This new dictionary, now available on Apps Store as part of the best-selling Oxford Paperback Reference series:

  • Covers both historical and contemporary issues in Buddhism, and includes all Buddhist schools and cultures.
  • Over 2,000 broad-ranging entries cover beliefs, doctrines, major teachers and scholars, place names, and artefacts, in a clear and concise style.
  • The text is illustrated with line drawings of religious structures, iconographic forms and gestures, and ritual objects.

The perfect guide for undergraduate students following courses on Buddhism, Religious Studies, Theology, and a range of Social Science disciplines such as Anthropology; postgraduate students, academics, practising Buddhists, and the general reader or researcher seeking information on Buddhism.

More info at: http://ow.ly/Peu7


Get the facts on the fats, and know your carbs… with the new Oxford Dictionary of Food & Nutrition on iPhone:-

This leading dictionary contains over 6,150 entries covering all aspects of food and nutrition, diet and health. Jargon-free definitions make this a valuable dictionary that clearly explains even the most technical of nutritional terms. From absinthe to zymogens, it covers types of food, nutritional information, vitamins, minerals, and key scientific areas including metabolism and genomics.

Available on iTunes. More info: http://su.pr/2T4u1s


MANCHESTER, UK — White Park Bay Software, a leading iPhone Apps publisher, announced today that it has signed an extension to its partnership with Oxford University Press to publish ten more of Oxford’s reference titles on the iPhone Worldwide.


“We are really excited about the extension with Oxford University Press”, said Steve Tagger, MD of White Park Bay. “Oxford are the benchmark for high quality reference titles.


The combination of Oxford University Press’ excellent content and White park Bay’s strong Apps and marketplace reach on iPhone really sets this partnership up for continued success.” The extension and expansion of White Park Bay’s Reference catalogue on iPhone will see the launch of a further ten titles from Oxford University press.


The additional titles, which will be released in phases starting from 23rd December 2009, widens the scope of the iPhone catalogue and includes flagship titles “A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art” and “Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations” compiled by Ned Sherin.


The complete launch catalogue is:

•A Guide to Countries of the World

•Concise Encyclopedia

•A Dictionary of Contemporary World History

•A Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Art

•Oxford Dictionary of Humorous Quotations

•The Oxford Dictionary of Islam

•A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition

•Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable

•A Dictionary of Buddhism

•A Dictionary of Hinduism


The range opens up the scope of White Park Bay’s catalogue to the home consumer in addition to delivering a high quality information experience to students and professionals alike.

“Consumer demand for reference products and services on iPhone is growing,” said Steve Tagger. “As one of the leaders in high quality cutting edge reference Apps on iPhone we are perfectly placed to deliver what consumers want. We have bolstered the range through our partnership extension and having listened to our customers added some cool new features, so we are confident the quality of the Apps will shine through to reflect the quality of the content from Oxford University Press”


White Park Bay’s catalogue puts a hi-tech spin on the range of Dictionaries offering consumers a wide range of new features on the iPhone including the ability to add ‘Notes’ to entries, just as you would write in the margins of the printed book. Users can then email entries and ‘Notes’ to friends, colleagues, or even themselves as a reminder. Other features include a new vertical ‘frame in frame’ view, which allows you to access the index and the definition entry at the same time.


All the dictionaries are fully searchable, delivering the info needed quickly and effectively. The Apps also offer unlimited bookmarking and upto 100 history entries to be logged, so you can keep track of the information you needed previously, and access instantly.

“We are excited to to have extended our relationship with White Park Bay as a partner” says Nicola Cook, Head of UK Business Development at Oxford University Press. “They have remained true to their remit to deliver the best reference App experience on the iPhone which makes them the perfect partner for us on smart phones. They are pushing the quality thresholds on iPhone constantly which is good news for us as the high calibre of the Apps is a great fit with the high standards that we set for ourselves at Oxford University Press.”


Available on iTunes: http://su.pr/22P4gt