Table of Contents

Not Obtainable.

About the Author

Robert Hendrickson is the author of several critically acclaimed works on the English language, including Human Words, American Talk: The Words and Ways of American Dialects; The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins; and Facts on File Dictionary of American Regionalisms. He is also the author of several celebrated works on American literature and the Civil War. He lives in Peconic, New York.

Reviews

Around the world, more than a billion people speak English, some fluently and some with only a passing familiarity. Here Hendrickson has compiled a fair representation of words spoken by English speakers of many types, balancing the number of words with the detail of their definitions in a single-volume dictionary. Hendrickson's love of the English language is apparent in his unusual presentation of the book's entries, which provide etymology and region of origin. The heavy emphasis on words from North America and the British Isles is, however, unfortunate. Many sources already cover idioms and expressions from these regions, and the expressions that have gained popularity in places where English is spoken less than perfectly are often the most interesting and illuminating. Hendrickson's previous 25 books include Salty Books, a book about sailors' lexicon, and Animal Crackers, about words we have derived from our relationship with animals. While his latest is entertaining and informing, it is not a topnotch reference book. --Library Journal