Dictionary of Americanisms: A Glossary of Words and Phrases, Usually Regarded as Peculiar to the United States (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Richard Lederer (Foreword)

Editorial Reviews

Review

This much-admired classic of American slang, authored by noted antiquarian and bibliographer Bartlett in 1848, has appeared in more incarnations over the years than Elvis; it was released in four increasingly enlarged editions by the original author, translated into Dutch and German, and reprinted at least seven times. Most recently, it has been transcribed online at www.merrycoz. Org/BARTLETT.HTM. All this attention is certainly well deserved: this was, after all, the first dictionary of American slang ever published, and it took ten years to compile. Long out of print, the original edition has been repackaged for introduction to a new generation of language buffs. It is graced with an entertaining new foreword by language and humor author Richard Lederer that provides the needed historical context. The entries, which have been left intact, consist of definitions of a word or phrase and are often accompanied by a note or its region of origin and examples of its use. Skimming through the volume provides an instructive and sometimes amusing look at the colloquial world of 19th-century America. Readers can learn the definitions of current words and metaphors (e.g., "hubby," "cleavage," and "blow over"), the regional origins of still-current terms (e.g. "humble pie"), the popular names of native flora and fauna (e.g., "fool-ish"), and slang terms now lost to history (e.g., "absquatulate," "dubersome," and "abisselfa"). Although this slim volume cannot substitute for such comprehensive works as Mitford McLeod Mathews's unabridged A Dictionary of Americanisms on Historical Principles or the venerable Oxford English Dictionary, both of which cite this and other titles by Bartlett, it is nevertheless recommended for libraries that do not own the more comprehensive sources or want to supplement them. - Nadine Cohen-Baker, Univ. of Georgia Lib., Athens (Library Journal, May 15, 2003)

Product Description

A rediscovered classic of American slang–now with a Foreword by bestselling language maven Richard Lederer, author of Anguished English and The Miracle of Language

From abisselfa to yourn, John Russell Bartlett’s groundbreaking Dictionary of Americanisms celebrated the language of a budding nation, whose rebellious declaration of independence was most evident in its own evolving colloquialisms. Originally published in 1848, the Dictionary of Americanisms was the first lexicon to portray the entire tapestry of uniquely American expressions in one volume, from the New England coast to the Far West and everything in between. The result is a window into everyday life and culture in a rapidly growing United States, with entries representing every region, linguistic heritage, and field of interest:

• New England: funkify, plaguy sight, kedge
• The South: marooning, catawamptiously chawed up
• New York: clockmutch, rullichies, soap-lock
• The West: scrouger, prairie bitters, I dad!
• Spanish: sangaree, chaparral, vamos
• Native American languages: netop, sagamore, supawn
• Politics: slang-whanging, Dough-Faces, to row up Salt river
• Business: wild cat bank, corner, Peter Funk

Filled with amusing anecdotes, editorial asides, and some surprisingly modern slang, this facsimile of the book’s first edition is a great rediscovery for a new generation of readers and a fascinating snapshot of life in the early decades of the United States of America.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons; 1st edition (December 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047122877X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471228776
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
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• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #289,133 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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