Idiom savant
Subtitle: slang as it is slung
By: Jerry Dunn.
Edition: 1st ed.
Publisher: Henry Holt
Published: 1997
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 296
Subjects: English language -- United States -- Slang -- Glossaries, vocabularies, etc.; Americanisms.
Description: Fizzbo, roof rat, gazoonie, wallah, dead presidents, Mr. Ed, sin bin, double Chrissie, choiceamundo. If you aren't familiar with these words, you may be in the dark about what people with specialized interests are saying among themselves. In Idiom Savant, you'll find out.

This colorful and altogether unique wordbook gives the slang of such different American groups as bird watchers, prison inmates, lawyers, gamblers, magicians, FBI agents, disc jockeys, firefighters, football players, sky divers, journalists, wrestlers, restaurant workers, and dozens of others. The focus of this slang is on wit - from wry to outrageous - on wordplay, and on irreverent and often downright derogatory terms for things and people.

Slang terms band together those who share them and mystify outsiders. In this book, largely researched "live" on the Internet, the slang of all these subcultures has been decoded. Vastly entertaining and informative, it is a gold mine for writers who want their characters to speak authentically and for anyone intrigued by words and interested in our language and culture.