Abridged ed. of The new dictionary of American slang c1986.

More bling for the buck! The #1 guide to American slang is now bigger, more up-to-date, and easier to use This new edition of McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions offers complete definitions of more than 12,000 slang and informal expressions from various sources, ranging from golden oldies such as . . . golden oldie, to recent coinages like shizzle (gangsta), jonx (Wall Street), and ping (the Internet). Each entry is followed by examples illustrating how an expression is used in everyday conversation and, where necessary, International Phonetic Alphabet pronunciations are given, as well as cautionary notes for crude, inflammatory, or taboo expressions. This edition also features a fascinating introduction on “What is Slang?,” a Thematic Index that cross-references expressions by standard terms--such as Angry, Drunk, Food, Good-bye, Mess-up, Money, and Stupidity--and a Hidden Word Index that lets you identify and locate even partially remembered expressions and phrases.

The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang offers the ultimate record of modern, post WW2 American Slang. The 25,000 entries are accompanied by citations that authenticate the words as well as offer examples of usage from popular literature, newspapers, magazines, movies, television shows, musical lyrics, and Internet user groups. Etymology, cultural context, country of origin and the date the word was first used are also provided. In terms of content, the cultural transformations since 1945 are astounding. Television, computers, drugs, music, unpopular wars, youth movements, changing racial sensitivities and attitudes towards sex and sexuality are all substantial factors that have shaped culture and language. This new edition includes over 500 new headwords collected with citations from the last five years, a period of immense change in the English language, as well as revised existing entries with new dating and citations. No term is excluded on the grounds that it might be considered offensive as a racial, ethnic, religious, sexual or any kind of slur. This dictionary contains many entries and citations that will, and should, offend. Rich, scholarly and informative, The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English is an indispensable resource for language researchers, lexicographers and translators.

This compilation of American slang contains more than 5,000 common slang terms with easy-to-understand definitions and sample sentences. The book's unique classification of slang terms under key words makes it easy to search for and discover any term. By organising terms this way, slang terms that share a common key word can be classified together for easy reference. For example, under the key word 'Chip,' the following terms are alphabetically listed: bargaining chip, blue chip, cash in one's chips, chip in, chip off the old block, chip on one's shoulder, in the chips, let the chips fall where they may, and when the chips are down. Slang terms with more than one key word are also cross-referenced, and sample sentences lend meaning to the slang terms by showing their applications in writing and in conversation.

A pioneering exploration of form, meaning, theme and function in African American slang, illustrated with thousands of contextual examples.

This unique reference volume is two books in one: a dictionary of slang and a slang thesaurus, with both sections treating the same words and phrases. Entries are arranged alphabetically in the dictionary and thematically in the thesaurus, and include definition, pronunciation, part of speech—and origins, usage information, and usage alerts when applicable—in both the thesaurus and the dictionary. All entry words are visually coded to help you distinguish slang that is potentially objectionable from other slang, and all synonyms are coded for the level of formality (formal, informal, no register) and separated by part of speech. This gives you more information about the potential effects of your word choice on your audience, so you have a much better chance than with a “regular” thesaurus of picking the right word for your particular context the first time. Graphics and brief articles are added to show you slang “under the hood”—the patterns and features that characterize slang usage. With this book, you’ll be able to find out how the screaming meemies got their name, why someone might be offended if you use the apparently inoffensive word crumbs, which words that mean “to kill” also mean “to cause riotous laughter,” and easily distinguish whether someone is an old fart, a son of a bitch, or just a silly ass. Here is a handy reference book for students, word buffs, and professional writers— a title that merits a place in every reference library. Printed throughout in two colors.