The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English: A Crunk Omnibus for Thrillionaires and Bampots for the Ecozoic Age [Paperback]

Grant Barrett (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0071458042 | ISBN-13: 978-0071458047 | Publication Date: May 23, 2006 | Edition: 1

More than 750 brand-new words that make "bling-bling" sound so five minutes ago

For readers who want to be on the cutting edge of the English lexicon or for dedicated word geeks, The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English presents more than 750 words that have unofficially joined the English language. These words are hot off the street, new even to cyberspace, and definitely not found in Webster's. Each entry features a definition, etymology, and at least three citations from print and the Internet that show the evolution of its meaning.

Entries include:

Bangalored (adj.) having been relocated to India; having lost business or employment due to such a relocation.

Paleoconservative (n.) a holder of outdated or old-fashioned conservative beliefs.

Barbecue Stopper (n.) a topic of constant and widespread conversation, especially a divisive political or social issue.

(20060709)

Editorial Reviews

Review

If you'd rather be schmooping or gurgitating, then slangmeister Grant Barrett has the dictionary for you. ``The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English" (McGraw-Hill, $14.95) collects hundreds of ``undocumented and underdocumented" words like the ones in his subtitle: ``A Crunk Omnibus for Thrillionaires and Bampots for the Ecozoic Age." Barrett's entries are not mere barroom fancies, but terms you can find in print and on the Internet, scrabbling for a foothold in the mainstream lexicon. Will Trashcanistan, ``any poor Middle Eastern country or Central Asian republic," hang around in the slang lexicon? Will ridonkulous follow humongous into general usage? Barrett, who also tracks such usage on his website, Double-Tongued Word Wrester, (www.doubletongued.org), will be among the first to know. (Boston Globe )

From the Back Cover

This is not your paleoconservative's dictionary.

The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English is a collection of cutting-edge words used around the English-speaking world. From Nollywood to Califunny and Corrupticut to Trashcanistan, these words are hot off the street and the Internet, and they are definitely not in Webster's. Inside you'll learn more than 750 new words, their meanings, and how they became part of the English lexicon.

Bangalored adj. having been relocated to India; having lost business or employment due to such a relocation

Bugs Bunny changeup n. in baseball, a slow pitch disguised as a fast ball that seems to stop in front of the plate

cuff and stuff v. to (physically) place someone under arrest

fundagelical n. a fundamentalist or evangelical Christian

hillbilly armor n. scavenged materials used by soldiers for improvised bullet-proofing and vehicle hardening, esp. in Iraq

I love me wall n. a public display of awards, certificates, plaques, and photographs with or from celebrities

Orange Curtain n. the characteristics, real or imagined, that differentiate Orange County from Los Angeles County and the rest of California

sleeve v. to decorate an arm with tattoos

swankienda n. a mansion or large house

unass v. to dismount or disembark

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (May 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071458042
• ISBN-13: 978-0071458047
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #984,951 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #83 in Books > Education & Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > Synonyms & Antonyms

More About the Author

I am an American lexicographer and editor of The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English (May 2006, McGraw-Hill) and the online, award-winning Double-Tongued Dictionary. I am also co-host of the language-related public radio show A Way With Words, broadcast nationwide via radio, streaming, and podcast. I also serve as vice president for communications and technology for the American Dialect Society, an academic organization that has been devoted to the study of English in North America for more than 118 years. Formerly, I worked as lexicographer for Oxford University Press in New York City, for which I served as project editor of the Historical Dictionary of American Slang and edited the Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang (2004). I am currently part of a team working on a series of bilingual learner's dictionaries for Cengage (formerly Thomson Heinle) using Collins content and brand, I continue ongoing work with Cambridge University press for their Cambridge Dictionary of American English and Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary, I will soon begin a project with Oxford University Press for their joint US-UK dictionary database (as well as contributing slang entries to their next version of the New Oxford American Dictionary). On occasion, I contribute to the journal American Speech and write for newspapers such as the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Malaysian Star.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, excellent, excellent, June 7, 2006

By 

paul "paul" (Arlington VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English: A Crunk Omnibus for Thrillionaires and Bampots for the Ecozoic Age (Paperback)

Got this in the mail today. A reader of Barrett's website, the double-tongued wordwrester, this is exactly what I'd hoped for -- a serious, scholarly book, but with edgy content that is often just plain fun. Interesting introductory essay that includes a discussion of Barrett's methodology in finding new words on the internet. Great for the coffee table and liesurely rainy-day browsing.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars smart fun, June 27, 2006

By 

Michael 'Mac' McLaurin "Huckster Critic" (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English: A Crunk Omnibus for Thrillionaires and Bampots for the Ecozoic Age (Paperback)

As a writer for an ad agency, I have a collection of "word books" I use as a distraction during moments of boredom or stress. Today I picked up The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English and within the first few pages it transitioned from distraction to pure entertainment. Words which made me laugh, smile, reminisce, gross-out, and reflect were suddenly buzzing in my brain.

My advice: grab a copy and enjoy.