Every era of the twentieth century from the "Roaring Twenties" to the "Me Decade" brought its own fads and trends and the language to go with them: fresh youth slang, up-to-the-minute buzzwords, and colorful catch phrases. Most of this new vocabulary exploded into the vernacular, only to fizzle a few years later as newer trends and more current events demanded their own terminology. Giving yesterday's words another chance to sparkle before they retire for good, Dewdroppers, Waldos, and Slackers focuses on language that still resonates with the mood of its times. A nostalgic word trip...
Every era of the twentieth century from the "Roaring Twenties" to the "Me Decade" brought its own fads and trends and the language to go with them: fr...
Ever wonder what going on the wagon has to do with drinking? Why does extreme behavior take the cake? And did Americans pocket change ever really include wooden nickels? Many of our most intriguing expressions grew out of once-familiar bits of American culture, the roots of which are now obscure. Respected linguist Rosemarie Ostler demystifies over 150 of these colorful homegrown figures of speech. She traces each saying from its first known appearance in print to its place in modern English, uncovering a host of cultural and historical tidbits along the way. Homegrown metaphors sprang up...
Ever wonder what going on the wagon has to do with drinking? Why does extreme behavior take the cake? And did Americans pocket change ever really incl...
Two Centuries of Scandalous Rumors, Over-the-Top Insults, and Low-Down Slurs.
We bemoan the loss of civility in public discourse these days, but mudslinging is an American tradition as old as the republic. Not everyone admired the Father of Our Country. President Washington's enemies called him a cheapskate, a hyena, a horse beater, a spoiled child, and a tyrannical monster, among other epithets. "You are utterly incapable to steer the political ship," wrote one outraged critic.
And so it has gone ever since. From the King Mob label denigrating Andrew Jackson to the...
Two Centuries of Scandalous Rumors, Over-the-Top Insults, and Low-Down Slurs.
We bemoan the loss of civility in public discourse these days,...
