Reviewed by Marc Pierce, University of Texas at Austin

This dictionary contains over 25,000 entries of slang and unconventional English usage.  All of the terms are American, and are attested after 1945. This year was chosen as a starting point because it ‘marked the beginning of a series of profound cultural changes that produced the lexicon of modern and contemporary slang’ (vii). The entries are structured conventionally: a headword is given, followed by a definition, a brief editorial comment (not all of the entries contain this), the country of origin, a date of attestation, and examples. For instance, the entry on ‘Dagwood’ (268) defines it as ‘a large and elaborate sandwich’; informs the reader that the term originated in the United States, existed by 1948, and is ‘[n]amed after the sandwiches made by the Dagwood Bumstead character in the Blondie comic strip’; and gives an example of its use from James Ellroy’s novel Hollywood Nocturnes (New York: O. Penzler Books, 1994). Phrases are generally ‘placed under their first significant word. However, some invariant phrases are listed as head words’ (viii). The book also contains a number of ethnically, racially, and/or sexually offensive terms. This is not to say that this is a mistake, as omitting these terms would obscure the situation, but rather that potential readers should be aware of their inclusion.

A spot-check of entries revealed no glaring errors, except for the omission of the use of ‘air ball’ as a basketball term meaning ‘a shot that misses the basket, rim, and backboard’, which was apparently coined in the late 1970s (9). Definitions of the term having to do with pinball and pool are given, although I suspect that the basketball term is the most common usage of the term.

In sum, this dictionary is both entertaining and informative, and those who browse through it will be well-rewarded for their efforts.