Oxford Dictionary of Slang
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...
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Saving the alphabetical listing for the index, British lexicographer Ayto presents terms in sections on areas of life and the world that generate slang. Leading the pack, unsurprisingly, are the body and its functions, and people and society. Others include sustenance and intoxication, thought and communication, and location and movement. Each entry includes the date of the first known written appearance, a definition and sometimes an explanation, and a recent example. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR Express-Times (Easton, PA) The Oxford Dictionary of Slang is a ryebuck, spiffing, thumping collection of gubbins and tot. Translation: it's an excellent, excellent, large collection of unspecified things and objects collected from refuse.
PrefacevThe body and its Functions11.The body and its Parts12.Nakedness113.Physique124.Sight, Vision135.Hearing156.Smell167.Bodily Functions168.Pregnancy & Childbirth219.Tiredness2210.Sleep2311.Illness2612.Death30People and Society331.Ethnic & National groups332.People423.Children494.Relations515.Terms of Address526.Groups547.Status558.Social Categories609.Conventionality6110.Friends6211.Solitude6312.Sex6413.Sexual Orientation8114.Prostitution8415.Crime8716.Killing10217.Reprimanding & Punishing10418.The Police10719.Prisons11120.Vagrancy11521.Politics11622.Military, Maritime, & Airforce11923.Espionage12724.Religion128Animals130Sustenance and Intoxication1341.Foodstuffs1342.Eating & Drinking1383.Alcohol1424.Tobacco1555.Drugs156Articles and Substances1681.Things1682.Clothing & Accessories1693.Tools, Implements, & Containers1754.Weapons1755.Explosives1776.Dirt & Cleanliness177Money, Commerce, and Employment1801.Money1802.Bribery1933.Work1954.Business & Commerce2015.Dismissal204Behaviour, Attitudes, and Emotions2061.Behaviour2062.Favour & Disfavour2073.Wanting & Getting2094.Ambition2105.Indifference2106.Excellence, Remarkableness2117.Beauty & Ugliness2198.Bad Quality2209.Unpleasantness22210.Contemptibleness22711.Ineffectualness, Incompetence22812.Sentimentality23113.Fairness & Unfairness23214.Pleasure, Enjoyment23315.Laughter & Amusement23716.Gratitude23917.Depression23918.Hopelessness24019.Confusion24020.Trouble24121.Excitement24422.Eagerness, Enthusiasm24523.Effort24624.Surprise24725.Boredom & Disenchantment25026.Composure25127.A Fuss25228.Anger25229.Argument, Quarrelling25730.Violence25831.Caution26432.Nervousness, Agitation26533.Fear26734.Courage & Cowardice26835.Perseverance27036.Conceit, Boastfulness, Ostentation27137.Audacity & Rudeness27438.Contempt27539.Meanness27640.Honesty27741.Sincerity & Insincerity27842.Lying28143.Deception, Cheating28244.Betrayal28745.Exploitation29046.Slyness, Artfulness29147.Secrecy, Confidentiality, Concealment29148.Energy, Vigour29249.Laziness293Thought and Communication2961.Belief & Disbelief2962.Understanding2973.Knowledge & Ignorance2984.Skill3005.Sanity3016.Foolishness3067.Gullibility3128.Education3139.Communication31610.Greetings & Farewells32511.Complaining32612.Criticism32813.Ridicule33014.Assent & Refusal33115.Nonsense33416.Emphatic Language33517.Imprecations34118.Names343The Arts, Entertainment, and the Media3441.Entertainment3442.Journalism & Newspapers3493.Music & Dance3504.Sport3535.Cards & Gambling359Time and Tide3611.Time3612.Beginning3623.Deferral & Stopping3634.Experience & Inexperience3655.Fashionableness, Stylishness3666.Old3697.Weather3718.Temperature372Location and Movement3731.Places3732.Habitation, Territory3763.Remoteness & Nearness3774.Movement3785.Falling3806.Speed3807.Arrival3828.Departure3839.Transport38610.Vehicles389Abstract Qualities and States3941.Size3942.Quantity3963.Fate4014.Possibility, Probability, & Certainty4025.Risk4046.Advantage & Disadvantage4047.Easiness4068.Difficulty4079.Precision, Approximation, & Correctness40810.Mistakes40911.Success41012.Spoiling, Ruination41313.Failure41714.Defeat & Victory41915.Power, Influence42116.Coercion42217.Organization42318.Subservience42419.Genuineness & Spuriousness42420.Triviality, Insignificance42521.Similarity42622.Suitability42623.Strangeness42724.Severity, Oppressiveness42725.Searching42826.Intrusion42927.Involvement43028.Sharing, Distribution43029.Avoidance43130.Abandonment432Index434
\ Express-Times (Easton, PA)The Oxford Dictionary of Slang is a ryebuck, spiffing, thumping collection of gubbins and tot. Translation: it's an excellent, excellent, large collection of unspecified things and objects collected from refuse.\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalBooks of slang are always fun to read, and this one is no exception. More of a thesaurus for its division into subject categories, this little reference gathers over 10,000 slang words from Great Britain, the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. A helpful index lists all the entries, but multiple citations under one word (e.g., "swing") make for tedious page flipping, and the page numbers are inconveniently placed. Under each category, words are listed not alphabetically but chronologically by first written use, thus requiring a search through the whole list. Some categories have pages of words (e.g., "foolish person," "prison," "drinking," "drunks"), whereas it is hard to believe that "bald person" has but one slang word ("slaphead"). The 10,000 entries are just too few to cover the entire English-speaking world; "gay," "ho'," "bottom line," and "born-again," for example, are not even included. Ayto, a professional lexicographer and the author of several dictionaries (e.g., Dictionary of Word Origins), should have limited his research to just one country. One can learn quite a bit of rhyming slang, however: "Hampstead Heath" for teeth; "flowery," short for flowery dell, for prison cell. Not useful as a standard library reference but suitable for casual browsing.-Kitty Chen Dean, Nassau Community Coll., Garden City, NY Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.\ \
