Talk the Talk: The Slang of 65 American Subcultures (Paperback)

by Luc Reid (Author)
Key Phrases: inhale cocaine into the nose, card tosser, thirst monster, Jafh the Jafh, Basic Faire Accent, Three-Card Monte (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Do You Know Your Subculture Slang?

"If your house hasn't been looted yet, it will be, so put everything you can in the bank and make mule characters carry the rest."

"Surely a duck kicker would not disturb ducks this old?"

"She will act as his beard when his parents come over and at office parties."

Do you ever feel like people are talking, but you have no idea what they're saying? Do you ever feel like you don't belong? Then you need Talk the Talk. This handy little book is your guide to the unique vernacular of 65 subcultures from hip hop to punk rock, from surfers to hunters, with more than 3,500 slang terms.

Author Luc Reid introduces each subculture and its key characteristics to give you an informative insider's peek at culture and diversity in America--plus he includes warnings when certain terms should be used with caution so that you don't commit any faux pas.

Discover the meanings of:
ground control (drug pushers and users), page 113 * bleep (goths), page 148
* zombie gimmick (magicians), page 199 * mob (online gamers), page 227 * buildering (rock climbers), page 277 * rules lawyer (role-playing gamers), page 286 * relaxicon (sci-fi and fantasy fans), page 301 * funnel (skydivers), page 321 * contactee (UFO believers), page 358 * warlock (Wiccans, witches, and neo-pagans), page 370

About the Author
Luc Reid is a past winner of the Writers of the Future contest and the founder of the neo-pro writers’ group Codex.

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books (September 18, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582974233
• ISBN-13: 978-1582974231
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #158,686 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Really Nice Resource for Writers and Word-lovers, February 24, 2007

By	Cat Rambo (Redmond, WA USA) - See all my reviews

I used this book for a story, when I wanted to salt in just enough words for a culture to be real, and found it very useful. It's not a substitute for in-depth study of a culture, but if you want your surfer dude or goth chick to say something that sounds convincing, it's handy.

It's also a fun book just for those who love words and expressions - plenty of nifty little tidbits.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched information in an attractive book, November 21, 2006

By	James Maxey "James Maxey" (Hillsborough, NC United States) - See all my reviews

This book is being marketed as a resource for writers, but it's also an interesting book for anyone interested in odd or unusual facts. The attractive design of the book makes it a good coffee table item and conversation starter. As a published novelist myself, I don't know that this book would be my first choice to research a particular subculture I wanted to write about. The knowledge here can't substitute for actually getting out and talking to members of the subculture. It does, however, provide a terrific tool for browsing a wide range of subcultures in search of inspiration from some of the more poetic or intriguing phrases you will find within these pages. As a window into worlds most people never encounter, it's well worth the cover price.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Yuppie Larva", April 24, 2007

By	Bart King (Portland, Oregon) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Learning that "yuppie larva" is a term used to describe privileged kids acting snotty was reward enough for me to like this book.

While it is true that a few of the categories seem part of common knowledge (see the reader review complaining about the bodybuilder nomenclature), author Reid does a good job putting slang into context and keeping things moving along. It seems to me that most word lovers would enjoy taking a spin through this well-designed book.

One more example, from the bicycling chapter: "FDGB" is an acronym for "Fall Down, Go Boom." *smile*

Also recommended: Slang: The Topical Dictionary of Americanisms