NTC's Super-Mini British Slang Dictionary [Paperback]

Richard Spears (Author), Ewart James (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0844201111 | ISBN-13: 978-0844201115 | Publication Date: January 1, 2000 | Edition: 1

Learning everyday expressions is now more convenient for non-native speakers of English thanks to these pocket-size dictionaries. Each is a compact, yet complete and up-to-date, reprint of one of NTC's top-selling ESL titles.

This includes rhyming slang (bees and honey for "money"), back slang (eefink for "knife"), and everyday slang expressions such as bangers and mash for "sausages and mashed potatoes", plus nearly 2,000 other uniquely British expressions, with definitions and example sentences provided for each.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard A. Spears, Ph.D., is a reference editor and former linguistics professor who has written more than 30 dictionaries, including NTC's American Idioms Dictionary (ISBN: 0-8442-0273-8) and NTC's American English Learner's Dictionary (ISBN: 0-8442-5859-8).

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844201111
• ISBN-13: 978-0844201115
• Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 3.7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #742,838 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #27 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Slang & Idioms

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Wasn't what I thought it would be, April 30, 2005

By 

Amy Olson "Desperate for good music" (Central Coast of California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: NTC's Super-Mini British Slang Dictionary (Paperback)

This book was funny but not quite what I was looking for. I wanted a book that was more of an American English/British English translation book. Although we both speak English, many terms are used differently in our respective nations. For example, a British tank top is a vest and a British sweater is a jumper. I was looking for these "translations". This book was not that. This book was true old time British slang and phrases that you rarely hear spoken at all in London. I didn't even bring this book with me.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful book, December 27, 2009

By 

N. Fontane (North Las Vegas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: NTC's Super-Mini British Slang Dictionary (Paperback)

I got this book because I was a bit of an Anglophile in college. It really helped me understand what was going on in all my favorite Brit TV shows, and it helped some in the literature I read for school. Very nice book! I will take this with me if I ever end up in England for more than a Heathrow layover.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for deciphering your British boyfriend or roommate!, August 2, 2009

By 

A. E. Berigtold "Travel_Crazy" (Baltimore, MD) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: NTC's Super-Mini British Slang Dictionary (Paperback)

I did a semester of study in London, then had a British roommate for one year while also working at a British organization, and then a British boyfriend for two years after that, and I got this book to be able to look up exact definitions of terms they used-- not to mention things I heard on tv or read in magazines and Brit chick lit.

Here are some of the terms I was curious about and found in this book:

to faff about
stroppy
naff
to suss
to skive off
to whinge
and more...

The book had a lot of rhyming slang which I rarely heard in real life (can't say "never" though, it is out there), but since you may encounter it in tv shows, films, and books it is useful to have it in here. It's true it is not as jam-packed as a larger book might be, so does not have all the transations US-UK of clothing terms, etc.; it is what the title says, slang, not a complete guide to daily life British English.

This book is small like any other pocket phrasebook, which is what I wanted. While it may not contain all the slang out there, you can always go online for whatever is missing. Educational, useful, and discreet! Go for it!