Spicy quotes enter dictionary

Spice Girls: What they really, really want is to be quoted

Words of wisdom from pop stars the Spice Girls and comedians such as Julian Clary have been included in the latest edition of a dictionary of quotations.

The Spice Girls' lyric "I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want" is included alongside some of Churchill's most memorable wartime remarks in the Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations.

Last year the same pop lyric was included in the rival Oxford Dictionary of Quotations.

Eric Idle: "Always look on the bright side of life"

The new edition features remarks and lyrics from pop stars and politicians, film stars and members of the royal family.

The books aims to reference events from 1940 to 2000.

George Michael and Eddie Izzard are quoted in the book, as are Arabella "Does my bum look big in this?" Weir and Ronald Reagan.

The former US president has 25 entries, one of them his infamous comment during a radio microphone test.

The English like eccentrics. They just don't like them living next door"

Julian Clary

He said: "My fellow Americans, I am pleased to tell you I have just signed legislation which outlaws Russia forever. The bombing begins in five minutes."

A spokesman at Penguin said: "What we were looking for was a wonderful overview of the period from 1940 to 2000.

"It gives you a way of getting to know the events of the period and how people viewed them at the time."

Her Majesty: "My husband and I"

The book has 8,000 quotations which, according to Penguin, have "the power to entertain, intrigue and shock".

Lines from films are also referenced, including Melanie Griffiths in Working Girl ("I've got a head for business and a body for sin") and the poster tagline for Reservoir Dogs, "Let's go to work".

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor is given an entry for her remark: "I have never hated a man enough to give him his diamonds back."

The late Diana, Princess of Wales' comment that "there were three of us in the marriage" is also included.

The range of quotations reflect the importance of the entertainment industry with quotes from pop stars as likely to be included as political rhetoric from national leaders.