"Spectacular vernacular—delivered with fresh flavor."—Playboy
"Hang with this slang and reep these righteous words!" This entertaining, highly readable book pulses with the vernacular of young Americans, tracing slang terms and expressions from the end of the nineteenth century to the present. In addition to alphabetical listings for each decade, it features fascinating word histories and sidebars about language and culture—jazz cat jive, the argot of Beat poets, gritty inner-city street talk, and other captivating colloquialisms.
A master storyteller and wordsmith, Tom Dalzell is the author of The Concise New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English and The Routledge Dictionary of Modern American Slang and Unconventional English. In Flappers 2 Rappers, he presents more than just lists of words. His introductions to each chronological chapter offer fascinating insights into the ways in which slang reflects the era's historical mood and significance. Great for browsing, this unique reference will delight students of history as well as word and language enthusiasts.