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
