Glossary of Terms

1/2 tp. = half title page (the front end-paper with just the book's title on the page)

aeg. = all edges gilt

armorial book-plate = with reference to book-plates that incorporate a coat-of-arms

b/w = black and white

BCA = Book Club Associates, ie any book club edition

bep. = back end-paper/s

bibliog. = bibliography

blocked in blind = an impresion made in the leather or cloth binding of a book as an embellishment

blurb = publisher's synopsis

CCC = Collins Crime Club

contemporary binding = applied to bindings meaning that the cloth, leather or other binding date approximately from the date of the book itself

D&C = David & Charles

dec. = decorated

dedication copy = the copy inscribed by the author to the dedicatee

dw. = dust-wrapper

edn. = edition

ep. = end-paper

eps. = end-papers

ex-lib.. = Ex-library - used to excuse the condition of a book that has once been the property of a lending library

ex-libris = personal book-plate

F. = fine condition

feps. = front end-papers

foxed = brownish spots which denote signs of ageing (or can occur as a result of faulty bleaching during the manufacture of the paper)

fr. = front

frontis. = an illustration placed before the preliminary leaves of a book, usually facing the title-page

G. = Below average

gilt = gold-leaf tooling, lettering, symbols of luxury edition

H&S = Hodder & Stoughton

h/b = hardback cover

hinge = An inside or outside joint of the binding of a book

illus. = illustration/s

incl. = including

insc. = neat insc. by previous owner

intro' = introduction

JL/BH = John Lane/Bodley Head

lge. = large

M. = as new, unread.

nd. = no date

notes = user's marginal/textual markings, underlines, annotations

nr. = near

o/w = otherwise

orig. = original

p. = text page

p/b. = paperback cover

pcdw. = price clipped dust wrapper

pd. = paste-down (the inside cover of the book)

pictorial cloth = Pictures printed direct on to cloth bindings started in 1830

pp. = text pages

presentation copy = A volume that contains an inscription showing it to be a gift from the author, publisher etc.

privately printed = A work produced at the expense of the author or other private persons

proofs = Trial impressions taken from type to which corrections may be made by the author and/or others

QQ = Quartet Qrime

reading copy = lowest denomination (the text still in readable condition, the binding usually soiled and/or tattered)

rebound = A book lacking the original or later binding.

repr. = reprint (after the first edition print run)

review copy = a copy of a book sent out in the hope of attracting a review of the work. Review slips and review stamps are sometimes found in these copies, usually giving evidence that it is of the earliest issue of that particular edition

RKP = Routledge & Keegan Paul Ltd.

slip case = A box into which a book can be slipped and which shows the spine

sp. = spine

teg. = top edge gilt

tipped-in = a plate or page lightly glued into a book.

tissue-guard = the tissue-paper protection usually next to an illustration, or frontis.

tp. = title-page with title, author and publisher

tr. = translated

uncut = edges of the pages have not been cut or trimmed.

unopened = pages have not been severed from their neighbours by a person wishing to read the book

v. = very

Vg. = Very good - showing normal signs of wear

Vg+ = Slightly better than vg

vol(s) = volume(s)

war ec. = war economy (WW2) - usually denoting smaller format and inferior quality paper

 

Home

Browse Catalogue

Search

Login/My Account

Messageboard

Glossary

Links

About Us

Contact Us