Title: Slam dunks and no-brainers
First published: 2005
Description: Explores the continuously evolving mysteries and complexities of the English language from the perspective of what popular idioms reveal about American society and culture.

"In this marvelously original book, three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Leslie Savan offers fascinating insights into why we're all talking the talk--Duh; Bring it on!; Bling; Whatever!--and what this reveals about America today. Savan traces the paths that phrases like these travel from obscure slang to pop stardom, selling everything from cars (ads for VWs, Mitsubishis, and Mercurys all pitch them as "no-brainer"s) to wars (finding WMD in Iraq was to be a "slam dunk"). Real people create these catchy phrases, but once media, politics, and businesses broadcast them, they burst out of our mouths as celebrity words, newly glamorous and powerful. Witty, fun, and full of thought-provoking stories about the origins of popular expressions, Slam Dunks and No-Brainers is for everyone who loves the mysteries of language." -- Publisher's description
Subjects: Rhetoric, Mass media and culture, Popular culture, English language, Language and culture, Civilization, Mass media and language, Intercultural communication, Popular culture, united states, English language, rhetoric, United states, civilization, 20th century, Social aspects, Idioms
Places: United States
Time periods: 20th century