Dictionary of the American West: Over 5,000 Terms from Aarigaa! to Zopilote [Paperback]

Win Blevins (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 4, 2002

Booksellers of the West, listen up: we're betting a California C-note that all you top hands will want a war bag full of Win Blevins's revised and expanded Dictionary of the American West, the only book this side of the Mississippi to embrace the full West in all of its cultural richness. Anyone who loves language will revel in the words, stories, and lore found in this uncommon resource, with over 5,000 words that honor the colorful history of the West and bring the region's present day to vivid life.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Blevins is well known for fictionalizing the history of the American West in works like Stone Song: A Novel of the Life of Crazy Horse, but at the same time he is lauded for his accuracy. He maintains that, like any other subgroup in America, Westerners have a language all their own, and over time he has grown frustrated when his editors or readers did not understand his writing. The result is this dictionary, expanded and revised from the 1992 edition (Facts On File), which defines terms commonly used in the West. Many of the 5000-plus entries are new or rewritten, and the text pays greater attention to the Pacific Coast States, including Alaska. In addition, greater emphasis is placed on words from many of the minority groups influencing Western history, from Mormons to blacks, who are often overlooked in similar works. As a result, this dictionary is much more current than the venerable Western Words: A Dictionary of the American West (o.p.) or Western Words: A Dictionary of the Old West (Hippocrene, 1997), both by Ramon Frederick Adams. The engagingly written entries are arranged alphabetically and frequently include guides to pronunciation. Overall, an informative and entertaining work; recommended for public and academic libraries. Daniel Liestman, Kansas State Univ. Libs., Manhattan
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This revised edition (the first was published in 1993) now includes more words from Alaska and the Pacific Coast states as well as new Indian terms. Some 250 entries are new, and numerous others have been rewritten.

RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: Sasquatch Books; 2 edition (January 4, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570613044
• ISBN-13: 978-1570613043
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,510,595 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I came out of Missouri and Arkansas, of Irish, Welsh, and Cherokee heritage. After a whirlwind of colleges and jobs, I discovered that books are my calling, and I've written more than twenty, primarily about mountain men and Indian people. Though awards are less important than readers, I'm glad when they come, and was delighted to be named Writer of the Year in 2003 by Wordcraft Circle of Native writers.

I live with my wife Meredith, the novelist, in a remote corner of the canyonlands of Utah.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dictionary of the American West, November 26, 2008

By 

D. Moore "dmortex" (South Plains of Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of the American West: Over 5,000 Terms from Aarigaa! to Zopilote (Paperback)

I have only just started giving this book a read. While few people 'read' a dictionary (or will admit to it), I find this one very good. In just the first few pages, I found that it was far more detailed and far-reaching than I would have imagined. As a native Texan, I am quite familiar with most of the 'cowboy' terms but this book far exceeds my expectations.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best West dictionary so far!, May 15, 2011

By 

Dinky - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Dictionary of the American West: Over 5,000 Terms from Aarigaa! to Zopilote (Paperback)

I enjoy reading about the west and when I get to a word that unclear what the word means I can instantly fine the meaning of it in that book.