The Life of Slang

by Julie Coleman

Overview

This book traces the development of English slang from the earliest records to the latest tweet. It explores why and how slang is used, and traces the development of slang in English-speaking nations around the world. The records of the Old Bailey and machine-searchable newspaper collections provide a wealth of new information about historical slang, while blogs and tweets provide us with a completely new perspective on contemporary slang. Based on inside information from real live slang users as well as the best scholarly sources, this book is guaranteed to teach you some new words that you shouldn't use in polite company. Teachers, politicians, broadcasters, and parents characterize the language of teenagers as sloppy, repetitive, and unintelligent, but these complaints are nothing new. In 1906, an Australian journalist overheard some youths on a street-corner: Things will be bally slow till next pay-day. I've done in nearly all my spond. Here, now; cheese it, or I'll lob one in your lug. Lend us a cigarette. Lend it; oh, no, I don't part. Look out, here's a bobby going to tell us to shove along. What, he wondered, was the world coming to. For the 411, read on ...

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191630729
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	03/08/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Julie Coleman was born in Coventry and attended Finham Park Comprehensive. She studied at Manchester University and King's College London, taught at Lund University in Sweden, and is now a Professor in the School of English at the University of Leicester. She has written several books about dictionaries.

Table of Contents

1. What is Slang? 2. Spawning3. Development4. Survival and Metamorphosis5. The Spread of Slang6. Prigs, Culls, and Blosses: Cant and Flash Language7. Jolly Good Show: British Slang to the Twentieth Century8. Whangdoodles and Fixings: Early American Slang9. Bludgers, Sooks and Moffies: English Slang around the World10. Top Bananas and Bunny-boilers: The Media and Entertainment Age11. Leet to Lols: The Digital Age12. EndsvilleAcknowledgementsExplanatory NotesBibliographyWord IndexIndex

Editorial Reviews

The Life of Slang by Julie Coleman wears academic robes, but underneath it's only too willing to get down and dirty....enjoyable and succinct." —Robert McCrum, The Observer

"Completely fascinating... immensely enjoyable... Coleman's thinking lifts this book above the usual semi-disposable level of writing about rude words." —James McConnachie, The Sunday Times

"Coleman's book is an enjoyable, thorough look at the purposes and particulars of slang that should be required reading, especially for newcomers to the topic. This is a textbook textbook on slang." — ThinkMap Visual Thesaurus

From the Publisher

What is slang and its "life cycle" of development? Taking the position that language is alive, the author aims to answer questions for general readers. We might easily recognize slang, but can we explain why we label certain language as such? Coleman (English language, Univ. of Leicester; The History of Cant and Slang Dictionaries) brings expertise to the subject, incorporating language quotes into her discussion (this is not a dictionary-style listing of phrases). With deep historical knowledge and a UK-centric perspective, Coleman surveys slang from the Middle Ages to the present and provides examples from around the English-speaking world. Need to distinguish among standard and colloquial language, jargon, and slang? Wonder why so much slang emerged from the military and schools? Coleman provides answers. Employing a chatty tone, she explains the role of the Oxford English Dictionary in etymology instead of assuming readers already understand such context. Still, the topic's depth, together with its supporting references, keep the work scholarly. VERDICT As a specialized source, this is recommended for serious language students.—Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL

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