The Life of Slang

Author : "Julie Coleman (Professor of English Language, University of Leicester)"

Paperback

Published : Thursday 27 February 2014

ISBN : 9780199679171

Price : €13.24

Description

This book traces the development of English slang from the earliest records to the latest tweet and explores why and how slang is used. Based on inside information from real live slang users as well as the best scholarly sources, this book is guaranteed to teach you some new words that you shouldn't use in polite company.

Bad-ass, bee's knees, and bomb-diffity - slang rules Teachers, politicians, broadcasters, and parents complain of the slang-infested language of today's teenagers. But slang has been around for centuries, always troubling those who take a purist line on the English language. In this entertaining book, Julie Coleman traces the development of slang across the English-speaking world and explores why and how it flourishes. She makes use of a marvellous array of sources, including newly available online records of the Old Bailey, machine-searchable historical newspaper collections, slang users themselves, scholarly works, and the latest tweets. It is a book guaranteed to teach you some new words that you shold never use in polite company.

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