The Oxford Dictionary of Slang - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 019863157X ISBN 13: 9780198631576

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1999

Synopsis

Slang is language with its sleeves rolled up, colorful, pointed, brash, bristling with humor and sometimes with hostility. Now, in The Oxford Dictionary of Slang, John Ayto has brought together over 10,000 slang words and phrases common to 20th-century English, to provide a comprehensive and highly engaging guide to the most outspoken corner of our language.
Unlike most such dictionaries, this volume is organized thematically, with slang words gathered under such headings as "the body and its functions" or "sustenance and intoxication." Within each section, the words are listed chronologically, starting with the century's earliest words and phrases and progressing right through to the present day, thus illuminating the development of slang and colloquial language over the last hundred years. Word origins and other interesting features of usage are given wherever possible, as are illustrative quotations from a wide range of authors. A comprehensive A Z index lists all words included in the dictionary, so you can find a particular word quickly.
From "five-finger discount" to "forty-rod whiskey," here is an authoritative and up-to-date record of slang throughout the English-speaking world.

About this title

About the Author

John Ayto is a professional lexicographer and author. His previous publications include The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang, The Oxford Diner's Dictionary, and A Gourmet's Guide: Food & Drink from A-Z. He lives in London.

Reviews

The 10,000 slang terms defined here originated mainly in the United States, Britain, Australia, or New Zealand and include both old and new coinages. The dictionary's arrangement is topical in thesaurus fashion, e.g., informal synonyms for police officersA"bull," "cozzpot," "dick," "fuzz," "peeler," "pig," and "walloper"Aare conveniently grouped under "The Police" in a large category called "People and Society." Users can also access any entry in the book via an A-to-Z index. Ayto, coauthor with John Simpson of The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang (Oxford Univ., 1992), candidly warns, "Do not expect to find every single piece of English slang here." Among the missing are such choice recent neologisms as "lotion boy" and "suck [or sucking] face." Still, this work will be a useful addition to most collections as a complement to the Lewins' Thesaurus of Slang (LJ 8/94) and the indispensable Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang (LJ 11/15/97).AKen Kister, author of "Kister's Best Dictionaries," Tampa, FL
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 019863157X
• ISBN 13: 9780198631576
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 2
• Number of pages: 480