Eric Partridge Book order

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Featuring around 5,000 contemporary slang expressions from various global origins, this collection spans seven centuries and provides a unique insight into late 20th-century communication. Each entry includes a clear definition, example usage, and the date of introduction into English. Originally compiled by Eric Partridge and expanded by Paul Beale, the work has been updated with new definitions by lexicographer Rosalind Fergusson, making it an engaging and informative reference for anyone interested in modern language.

Designed to aid civilians and military personnel during wartime, this dictionary addresses the complexities of wartime abbreviations that emerged in 1942. It serves as a crucial resource for newspaper readers, sailors, soldiers, and airmen navigating the dense language of their time, allowing them to uncover essential information for their duties. The preface likens the experience to exploration, emphasizing the necessity of understanding these terms in the pursuit of truth and effective service.

Originally published: New York: The Macmillan Company, 1950. xv, 804 pp. Reprint of the second edition. Thoroughly engrossing, A Dictionary of the Underworld offers definitions for such obscure terms and phrases as "witch-hazel man" (heroin addict), "eason" (to tell) and "budge a beak" (run away). "Once in about every generation a book is published which dominates its field. Such a book is Partridge's Dictionary of the Underworld, which is not only the first extensive work on the underworld to appear in the twentieth century, but also the largest in the English language. (...) It is truly a monumental work, so monumental that scholars may well be disturbed by its aura of substantiality, for it will undoubtedly be cited and quoted or years to come." --David W. Maurer, American Speech, Vol. 26, No. 1 (February 1951), 38. One of the great lexicographers of the twentieth century, ERIC PARTRIDGE [1894-1979] had a keen interest in slang and unconventional English. He wrote over forty books on the English language and compiled the Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, Shakespeare's Bawdy and A Dictionary of Catch Phrases. He also wrote novels under the pseudonym Corrie Denison.