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Bum Bags and Fanny Packs : A British-American American-British Dictionary (Paperback)

by Jeremy Smith (Author) "THIS DICTIONARY IS for use by travellers, armchair, virtual, or otherwise..." (more)
Key Phrases: usage adv, expr adv, intj adj, New York, Great Britain, Sloane Rangese (more...)

4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
The most comprehensive, up-to-date, and entertaining translation dictionary available for those navigating the murky waters between American and British English

The first place to turn to for understanding Britishisms or Americanisms, this handy and humorous translation dictionary will delight and inform trans-Atlantic travelers, writers and actors trying to capture the true tongue of the Brits or the Yanks, and any and all word mavens fascinated by the English language. The dictionary illuminates differences in vocabulary, usage, pronunciation, and spelling. It also explains the history of the English language and how and why differences between American and British English arose. Easy-to-read, light-hearted, and sometimes irreverent (differences occur especially in the dynamic areas of language, of which slang and swear words are a major part), BUM BAGS AND FANNY PACKS contains more than 2,500 entries on each side, making it the most thorough book of its kind. Also includes Cockney rhyming slang, tables listing national holidays, presidents, kings and queens, and the differences between American and British currencies.

About the Author
Jeremy Smith was born in London and, after graduating from college, immigrated to America, where he became a computer professional. A keen amateur linguist, he began BUM BAGS AND FANNY PACKS after his initial collision with American culture. The book has been a research project conducted among fellow linguists and online collaborators. More than a decade after its inception, Smith continues to conduct research. He currently lives in Oregon.

Product Details

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Basic Books (January 2, 2006)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0786717025
ISBN-13: 978-0786717026
Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 1 inches
Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Amazon.com Sales Rank: #86,416 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category: (What's this?)
#98 in Books > Reference > Dictionaries & Thesauruses > English (British)

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Inside This Book (learn more)

First Sentence:
THIS DICTIONARY IS for use by travellers, armchair, virtual, or otherwise. Read the first page

Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
usage adv, expr adv, intj adj, col adj, usage adj, usage prep, inf adj, new pence, spelling differences, inches dia

Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Great Britain, Sloane Rangese, Las Vegas, Bible Belt, Borscht Belt, British American, Electoral College, Fred Bloggs, Hong Kong, Rust Belt, San Francisco, Southern States, White House, British Isles, British Money, British Rail, East End, Los Angeles, Sloane Ranger, Sweeney Todd, United Kingdom, British Holidays, Corn Belt, Downing Street

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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!

Citations (learn more)

This book cites 74 books:

The Dialects of England by Peter Trudgill on 4 pages
The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language by David Crystal in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
Mighty Fine Words and Smashing Expressions: Making Sense of Transatlantic English by Orin Hargraves in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
The Story of Writing by Andrew Robinson in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
The Language Report by Susie Dent in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)

See all 74 books this book cites

Books on Related Topics (learn more)

Cassell's Dictionary of Slang by Jonathon Green

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The American-British British-American Dictionary by Jeremy Smith

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New College Thesaurus by Langenscheidt

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	51% buy the item featured on this page: Bum Bags and Fanny Packs : A British-American American-British Dictionary 4.3 out of 5 stars (7) $11.66
	21% buy Knickers in a Twist: A Dictionary of British Slang 4.6 out of 5 stars (10) $10.98
	13% buy Watching the English: The Hidden Rules of English Behaviour 4.8 out of 5 stars (19) $12.21
	7% buy Rules, Britannia: An Insider's Guide to Life in the United Kingdom 4.9 out of 5 stars (8) $16.47

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Customer Reviews

7 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Funny and terrifically helpful, January 16, 2006

By	Steven Strogatz (Ithaca, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book is hilarious, accurate, and surprisingly useful. I lived in England for two years after college and often found myself both befuddled and tickled by the Brits' idiomatic expressions. "You're having me on!", you say. No, I'm not trying to take the Mickey out of you. Or even the Michael. I wish I'd had a copy of Bum Bags and Fanny Packs back then.

Just the other day, I consulted this book when a British colleague of mine mentioned that he found another colleague's aggressive letter to us to be "a bit shirty." Armed with Bum Bags and Fanny Packs, I not only learned the precise meaning of that adjective, but discovered an even better synonym for it: "stroppy." If you're the sort of person who enjoys wordplay, you're in for a treat with this book.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Faithful Companion, February 2, 2008

By	A. Perez "a student" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

If you are an American who enjoys British novels, films, music, etc. or vice versa, this book enhances the joys of transatlantic communication through media. This book is a fresh, funny, and practical guide to modern english.

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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars not just for Americans, December 25, 2007

By	Carla Ulbrich "Professional Smart Aleck" (Sunrise, FL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

My British friend found this even more fascinating than I did, so i gave it to him when I was over there. It's a bit academic, going into all sorts of history of coins, measurements, etc. I am more of a one-liner kind of person when it comes to this sort of topic, so I enjoy the knickers in a twist book a bit more. But for intellectuals, this book is chock full of facts.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars British Ehglish
A "must read" before a trip to England, to create understanding in communication. A great many differences exist in word usage, & expressions used in "British English", for... Read more

Published 5 months ago by Jan E. Thornton

4.0 out of 5 stars Brit speak
My wife and I greatly enjoy this "translation" of Brit-speak to American speak. It has cleared up a number of misconceptions and misperceptions from books, TV, and movies over... Read more

Published 6 months ago by Norman F. Nelson

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent delivery time and excellent condition
A funny book to read, and very interesting to see the similarities and differences in the English language. Read more

Published 12 months ago by S. King

3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough words
I read a lot of British mysteries and keep running across words that I have never seen. I bought this book hoping that it would help me understand Britishisms that I was not... Read more

Published 15 months ago by M.S.G

› See all 7 customer reviews...

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