Stone the Crows

More about the book

Slang is language with its sleeves rolled up, colorful, pointed, brash, bristling with humor and sometimes with hostility. From "five-finger discount" to "buzz off," slang words add zest to everyday speech. Now, in the second edition of The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang, John Ayto and John Simpson have gathered together a vibrant collection of over 6,000 slang terms, drawn from the vast Oxford English Dictionary database. The volume is organized thematically. Within each section the words are listed chronologically, starting with the century's earliest words and progressing right through to the present, thus illuminating the development of slang and colloquial language over the last hundred years. Each entry contains the headword, part of speech, and definition, and most also have illustrative examples of the term in context, often drawn from writers such as John Updike, John Lennon, and Woody Allen. Many entries contain labels indicating the social group or discipline from which a word derives--such as theatrical, military, or nautical--as well as the place where it originated. In addition, when the term has had more than one meaning, the various senses are listed chronologically. The words have been gathered from all over the English-speaking world, including many from Australia and the United Kingdom. Finally, the book contains a comprehensive thematic index, enabling users to home in on particular areas of interest, such as the body or food and drink, plus a comprehensive index of all words in the dictionary, so you can find a particular expression quickly. Ultimately, this colorful and informative collection spans the English-speaking world and provides an accurate portrait of slang in the last one hundred years.