Slang dictionary
Encyclopedia
A slang dictionary is a reference book containing an alphabetical list of slang
, vernacular
vocabulary
not generally acceptable in formal usage, usually including information given for each word, including meaning, pronunciation, and etymology
. It can provide definitions on a range of slang from more mundane terms (like "rain check" or "bob and weave
") to obscure sexual practices. Such works also can include words and phrases arising from different dialect
s and argot
s, which may or may not have passed into more common usage. They can also track the changing meaning of the terms over time and space, as they migrate and mutate. This makes them of interest to a variety of people, from oral historians
, to etymologists, to the casual browser.
, that looked to define Thieves' cant
. Other early slang dictionaries include A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew
, first published circa 1698, and Francis Grose
's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, first published in 1785.
. The study of slang is now taken seriously by academics, especially lexicographers
like the late Eric Partridge
, devoting their energies to the field and publishing on it, including producing slang dictionaries.
efforts which tend to focus on the more vulgar slang terms:
The Urban Dictionary
relies on user contributions, which can introduce both humour and inaccuracies. It has also been published in book form:
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...
, vernacular
Vernacular
A vernacular is the native language or native dialect of a specific population, as opposed to a language of wider communication that is not native to the population, such as a national language or lingua franca.- Etymology :The term is not a recent one...
vocabulary
Vocabulary
A person's vocabulary is the set of words within a language that are familiar to that person. A vocabulary usually develops with age, and serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge...
not generally acceptable in formal usage, usually including information given for each word, including meaning, pronunciation, and etymology
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
. It can provide definitions on a range of slang from more mundane terms (like "rain check" or "bob and weave
Bob and weave
In boxing bobbing moves the head laterally and beneath an incoming punch. As the opponent's punch arrives, the fighter bends the legs quickly and simultaneously shifts the body either slightly right or left...
") to obscure sexual practices. Such works also can include words and phrases arising from different dialect
Dialect
The term dialect is used in two distinct ways, even by linguists. One usage refers to a variety of a language that is a characteristic of a particular group of the language's speakers. The term is applied most often to regional speech patterns, but a dialect may also be defined by other factors,...
s and argot
Argot
An Argot is a secret language used by various groups—including, but not limited to, thieves and other criminals—to prevent outsiders from understanding their conversations. The term argot is also used to refer to the informal specialized vocabulary from a particular field of study, hobby, job,...
s, which may or may not have passed into more common usage. They can also track the changing meaning of the terms over time and space, as they migrate and mutate. This makes them of interest to a variety of people, from oral historians
Oral history
Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews...
, to etymologists, to the casual browser.
17th and 18th centuries
Slang dictionaries have been around hundreds of years. The Canting Academy, or Devil's Cabinet Opened was a 17th-century slang dictionary, written in 1673 by Richard HeadRichard Head
Richard Head was an author, playwright and bookseller. He became famous with his satirical novel The English Rogue – one of the earliest novels in English that found a continental translation.-Life:The most important primary source on Head’s life is William Winstanley's biographical entry...
, that looked to define Thieves' cant
Thieves' cant
Thieves' cant or Rogues' cant was a secret language which was formerly used by thieves, beggars and hustlers of various kinds in Great Britain and to a lesser extent in other English-speaking countries...
. Other early slang dictionaries include A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew
A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew
A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew is a dictionary of English cant and slang by a compiler known only by the initials B. E., first published in London circa 1698...
, first published circa 1698, and Francis Grose
Francis Grose
Francis Grose was an English antiquary, draughtsman, and lexicographer. He was born at his father's house in Broad Street, St-Peter-le-Poer, London, son of a Swiss immigrant and jeweller, Francis Jacob Grose , and his wife, Anne , daughter of Thomas Bennett of Greenford in Middlesex...
's A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, first published in 1785.
Modern times
In recent years, dictionaries with a more academic focus have tried to bring together etymological studies in an attempt to provide definitive guides to slang while avoiding problems arising from folk etymology and false etymologyFalse etymology
Folk etymology is change in a word or phrase over time resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more familiar one. Unanalyzable borrowings from foreign languages, like asparagus, or old compounds such as samblind which have lost their iconic motivation are...
. The study of slang is now taken seriously by academics, especially lexicographers
Lexicography
Lexicography is divided into two related disciplines:*Practical lexicography is the art or craft of compiling, writing and editing dictionaries....
like the late Eric Partridge
Eric Partridge
Eric Honeywood Partridge was a New Zealand/British lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the Army Education Corps and the RAF correspondence department during World War II...
, devoting their energies to the field and publishing on it, including producing slang dictionaries.
Examples
Examples include:- Chambers Slang Dictionary (by Jonathon GreenJonathon GreenJonathon Green is a British lexicographer of slang and writer on the history of alternative cultures...
, Chambers Harrap PublishersChambers HarrapChambers Harrap Publishers is a reference publisher formerly based in Edinburgh, Scotland, which held the property rights of the venerable W.R.Chambers Publishers and its competitor George G. Harrap and Company .-History of Chambers:Chambers was founded as "W. & R...
, ISBN 9780550104397), previously Cassell Dictionary of Slang (Cassell ReferenceOrion Publishing GroupOrion Publishing Group Ltd. is a UK-based book publisher. It is owned by Hachette Livre. In 1998 Orion bought Cassell.-History:Full history of the group can be found on Orion Publishing Group is owned by -Imprints:...
, 1998; last edition 2006, ISBN 9780304366361) - Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (by Eric PartridgeEric PartridgeEric Honeywood Partridge was a New Zealand/British lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the Army Education Corps and the RAF correspondence department during World War II...
and Paul Beale, RoutledgeRoutledgeRoutledge is a British publishing house which has operated under a succession of company names and latterly as an academic imprint. Its origins may be traced back to the 19th-century London bookseller George Routledge...
, 2002, ISBN 0415291895) - The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang (by John Ayto and John SimpsonJohn Simpson (lexicographer)John Andrew Simpson is a British lexicographer and senior editor of the Oxford English Dictionary . Simpson was co-editor of the second edition, which ran to 20 volumes published in 1989, a combination of the original text with several supplemental volumes that had followed...
, Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford 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...
, 2005, ISBN 0198610521)
Vulgar slang
There have also been more tongue-in-cheekTongue-in-cheek
Tongue-in-cheek is a phrase used as a figure of speech to imply that a statement or other production is humorously intended and it should not be taken at face value. The facial expression typically indicates that one is joking or making a mental effort. In the past, it may also have indicated...
efforts which tend to focus on the more vulgar slang terms:
- Roger's ProfanisaurusRoger's ProfanisaurusRoger's Profanisaurus is a compendium of profanity, featuring the foulmouthed Viz character Roger Mellie, the man on the telly. The title is a word play on Roget's Thesaurus. The book is published in the United Kingdom by Viz, and described as "the foulest-mouthed book ever to stalk the face of...
Rex: The Ultimate Swearing Dictionary (third edition, Viz, 2005, ISBN 0752228129)
The Urban Dictionary
Urban Dictionary
Urban Dictionary is a Web-based dictionary of slang words and phrases, which contained over 6 million definitions . Submissions are regulated by volunteer editors and rated by site visitors...
relies on user contributions, which can introduce both humour and inaccuracies. It has also been published in book form:
- Urban Dictionary: Fularious Street Slang Defined (by Aaron Peckham, Andrews McMeelAndrews McMeel PublishingAndrews McMeel Publishing, LLC is a company which publishes books, calendars, and related toys...
, 2006, ISBN 0740751433)
- The Shesaurus: Hip Hop Women's Dictionary (by Keshia Kola, Penmar Press Publishing, 2005, ISBN 0615221588)
External links
- British Library Texts in Context: 1785 – Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
- fromoldbooks.org version of the Vulgar Tongue with one page per entry, links to examples and to another canting (thieving) dictionary
- A 1737 dictionary of canting slang produced by Nathan Bailey
- Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhyme, edited by John Farmer (1896)
- British Library article on The Canting Academy