Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, Vol. 1: A-G
Slang dictionaries abound, but none offers the linguistic depth, historical range, and scholarly verve of the new Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang (RHHDAS), principally the work of Lighter (English, Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville). The initial volume (A-G) comprises some 10,000 headwords, 20,000 definitions, and 90,000 citations. Volume 2 (H-R) is scheduled for publication in 1996, with Volume 3 (S-Z) to follow in 1997. When completed, the dictionary will provide detailed lexicographic information on all major slang (words and phrases) used in the United States from Colonial times to the present; no effort has been made to cover purely Canadian terms. Because of the nature of slang (nonstandard English), entries include many obscenities-the "F" word alone accounts for a dozen pages-as well as racial epithets and other taboo or potentially offensive language. What sets RHHDAS apart from other slang dictionaries is its systematic historical approach-that is, terms are not only defined but their etymological development is traced chronologically through dated citations. For instance, the entry "ace" as an adjective meaning expert (as in ace reporter) is embellished with 11 citations, the first from Sob Sister (a novel published in 1930) and the last from the TV program 21 Jump Street in 1988. RHHDAS also furnishes an extensive annotated bibliography of other important slang dictionaries, including Wentworth and Flexner's classic Dictionary of American Slang (LJ 8/75), which RHHDAS complements and largely replaces. A bodacious undertaking, Lighter's dictionary represents a major contribution to lexicographic scholarship. It belongs in every serious reference collection. [For another resource on slang, see Esther Lewin and Albert E. Lewin's The Thesaurus of Slang, rev. ed., reviewed above.-Ed.]-Ken Kister, author of "Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla.--Ken Kister, author of "Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.