Dictionary of Americanisms

About this book

A rediscovered classic of American slang–now with a Foreword by bestselling language maven Richard Lederer, author of Anguished English and The Miracle of Language. From abisselfa to yourn, John Russell Bartlett’s groundbreaking Dictionary of Americanisms celebrated the language of a budding nation, whose rebellious declaration of independence was most evident in its own evolving colloquialisms. Originally published in 1848, the Dictionary of Americanisms was the first lexicon to portray the entire tapestry of uniquely American expressions in one volume, from the New England coast to the Far West and everything in between. The result is a window into everyday life and culture in a rapidly growing United States, with entries representing every region, linguistic heritage, and field of interest: New England: funkify, plaguy sight, kedge. The South: marooning, catawamptiously chawed up, New York: clockmutch, rullichies, soap-lock. The West: scrouger, prairie bitters, I dad!. Spanish: sangaree, chaparral, vamos. Native American languages: netop, sagamore, supawn. Politics: slang-whanging, Dough-Faces, to row up Salt river. Business: wild cat bank, corner, Peter Funk. Filled with amusing anecdotes, editorial asides, and some surprisingly modern slang, this facsimile of the book’s first edition is a great rediscovery for a new generation of readers and a fascinating snapshot of life in the early decades of the United States of America.