The Penguin dictionary of epigrams

the long version

"There you are, writing a letter or a speech, or even just arguing with your friends, when you think: there must be a succinct way of putting this. Surely a single one-liner could do a better job than my own ill-chosen and long-winded words?" "Thankfully, we have the epigram - that handy, witty saying that closes arguments, sets people thinking, and generally makes everyone else think you're much cleverer than you really are. And what makes The Penguin Dictionary of Epigrams so wonderful is that its thematic index - covering everything from Birth and Death, Knowledge and Ignorance to Marriage and Divorce and Madness and Sanity - will ensure that you're never lost for the right words ever again."--Jacket.