Historical Dictionary of American Slang
Encyclopedia
The Historical Dictionary of American Slang, often abbreviated HDAS, is a dictionary
of American slang
. The first two volumes, Volume 1, A – G (1994), and Volume 2, H – O (1997), were published by Random House
, and the work then was known as the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, sometimes abbreviated as RHHDAS. Both volumes used the same ISBN, ISBN 0-394-54427-7; the paperback editions are ISBN 978-0394544274 for Volume 1 and ISBN 978-0679434641 for Volume 2.
When Random House discontinued publication, Oxford University Press
announced in 2003 that it would publish the two remaining volumes, Volume 3, P – S [Part 1], ISBN 978-0195174182, and Volume 4, S [Part 2] – Z
Each entry includes representative quotations, including the earliest quotation using the word. HDAS is edited by Dr. Jonathan E. Lighter, of the University of Tennessee
.
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
of American slang
Slang
Slang is the use of informal words and expressions that are not considered standard in the speaker's language or dialect but are considered more acceptable when used socially. Slang is often to be found in areas of the lexicon that refer to things considered taboo...
. The first two volumes, Volume 1, A – G (1994), and Volume 2, H – O (1997), were published by Random House
Random House
Random House, Inc. is the largest general-interest trade book publisher in the world. It has been owned since 1998 by the German private media corporation Bertelsmann and has become the umbrella brand for Bertelsmann book publishing. Random House also has a movie production arm, Random House Films,...
, and the work then was known as the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang, sometimes abbreviated as RHHDAS. Both volumes used the same ISBN, ISBN 0-394-54427-7; the paperback editions are ISBN 978-0394544274 for Volume 1 and ISBN 978-0679434641 for Volume 2.
When Random House discontinued publication, Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
announced in 2003 that it would publish the two remaining volumes, Volume 3, P – S [Part 1], ISBN 978-0195174182, and Volume 4, S [Part 2] – Z
Each entry includes representative quotations, including the earliest quotation using the word. HDAS is edited by Dr. Jonathan E. Lighter, of the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
.