Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Volume I: A-G

by Jonathan E. Lighter

The only historical dictionary of slang -- spanning three hundred years of slang use in America.

Genres: Reference, Language

1080 pages, Hardcover

First published June 7, 1994

Reviews

[Carrie]

Lighter, J. (1994). Random house historical dictionary of american slang. Random House.

Carrie Gupton

Type: Dictionary

Call Number: REF 973

Description: This is an excellent, comprehensive work. The entries include obscure words and phrases that most people have never heard of, as well as common terms with all their subtle shades of meaning.

Review: Booklist review. (1994, October 1). Retrieved from http://www.booklistonline.com/Random-...

Scope: This book is 1006 pages and covers approximately 20,000 definitions in this volume. Following each definition are illustrative quotations, which are arranged chronologically, beginning with the earliest documented use.

Accuracy, Authority, & Bias: Lighter is a research associate in the English department of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, traces the historical development of slang in the English language and discusses its sociological and cultural aspects.

Arrangement & Presentation: The book is arranged with the words in alphabetical order. Lighter provides a useful, annotated bibliography of significant books and articles dealing with American slang and an admirably thorough guide to the dictionary.

Relation to Similar works: There is a second volume of this historical slang following H-O. When the third volume is completed, this series will be the most decisive and academic dealing of American slang ever published.

Timeline and Permanence: As terminology and use of slang changes quickly, this resource is a good historical source of slang. For a more up to date definition, urbandictionary.com will probably be a better resource.

Accessibility/Diversity: The increasing permissiveness regarding language in today’s society cannot be ignored. The increasing usage and heightened awareness of such terms are not only reflected in this volume, but also make its publication even more timely and appropriate.

Cost: $50

[John T. Hickey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This work-in-progress applies thorough scholarship, in the matter of the Oxford English Dictionary, to US popular speech, especially to the words we don't like to acknowledge that we use or used, like N***r. Use it as an entertaining look at our linguistic past, or for insights into our prejudices

[Christine]

yes, people, I read dictionaries!