Booklist Top of the List Reference Source The heir and successor to Eric Partridge's brilliant magnum opus, The Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, this two-volume New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English is the definitive record of post WWII slang. Containing over 60,000 entries, this new edition of the authoritative work on slang details the slang and unconventional English of the English-speaking world since 1945, and through the first decade of the new millennium, with the same thorough, intense, and lively scholarship that characterized Partridge's own work. Unique, exciting and, at times, hilariously shocking, key features include: unprecedented coverage of World English, with equal prominence given to American and British English slang, and entries included from Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, South Africa, Ireland, and the Caribbean emphasis on post-World War II slang and unconventional English published sources given for each entry, often including an early or significant example of the term’s use in print. hundreds of thousands of citations from popular literature, newspapers, magazines, movies, and songs illustrating usage of the headwords dating information for each headword in the tradition of Partridge, commentary on the term’s origins and meaning New to this edition: A new preface noting slang trends of the last five years Over 1,000 new entries from the US, UK and Australia New terms from the language of social networking Many entries now revised to include new dating, new citations from written sources and new glosses The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English is a spectacular resource infused with humour and learning – it’s rude, it’s delightful, and it’s a prize for anyone with a love of language.

Was there ever a pilgrimage like Megan’s? Fleeing from her parents’ fundamentalism, she despaired as she felt the Sea of her Faith ebbing away. As she journeys from New Zealand to South Korea and back again, she searches for contentment. In this captivating adventure tale, Megan Evans encounters characters of all sorts: barfl ies, bikies and a bishop, a priest, a paedophile and a psychiatrist, and many, many more, each of them with stories to tell, each of them contributing to Megan’s redemption. ‘Tides’ contains elements of literature, travel, humour, adventure and pathos and, when the tide fi nally comes fl ooding in, there is romance.

New York Times Bestseller! Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett's Dodger, a Printz Honor Book, combines high comedy with deep wisdom in a tale of one remarkable boy's rise in a fantasy-infused Victorian London. Seventeen-year-old Dodger is content as a sewer scavenger. But he enters a new world when he rescues a young girl from a beating, and her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England. From Dodger's encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd, to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery. Creator of the popular Discworld fantasy series, Sir Terry also received a prestigious Printz Honor from the American Library Association for his novel Nation.

A Matter of Chatter is an eclectic mix of nursery rhymes, verse and nonsense for young children. Come, meet Mr Odds ‘n’ Ends Find out the benefits of wearing Odd Socks Hear the Hullabaloo Discover Royal Mayhem and much, much more. Drawing inspiration from the nursery rhymes of his childhood, Apollo Stark wrote and published this, his first ever book, in 1995. This revised and expanded second edition, unlike its predecessor, contains previously unpublished pieces and illustrations. Adding to and enriching the tradition of telling and reciting nursery rhymes, ‘A Matter of Chatter’ will make a delightful edition to any nursery school’s bookshelves or infant’s bedtime stories. My piece, ‘Hey Dum Dum Rook’ was inspired by ‘The Cat and the Fiddle’, the earliest printed version of this poem being written in 1765, and which is now better known as ‘Hey Diddle Diddle’. ‘Where The Peppers Went’, is my response to the tongue twisting, rhyming question posed by John Harris in 1813 when he asked in his book called, Peter Piper’s practical principals of plain and perfect pronunciation, “Where’s the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?” My rhyming verse, ‘Royal Mayhem’, like its predecessors, The Grand Old Duke of York and Humptey Dumptey, is a historical commentary. Two Muddle Some, and several other pieces in this book, were inspired by the nonsense works of Mr Edward Lear, whilst ‘Tom Cat Bert” was motivated by A A Milne’s verse, Buckingham Palace. I hope my humble offerings, like those nursery rhymes before them, endure the test of time, and in some little way help to keep the tradition of nursery rhyme writing and telling alive.

A direct and informative Wordbook of Idiom and Slang which is directed at giving explanation to the meaning of and the correct usage of the Australian English language. There are some words used that may offend as they have converse meanings to other English Speaking countries; however, there is no intent to offend or malign or denigrate anybody. This book is designed to be informative, educational, and full of humor and will give the reader insight to a unique and colorful language.

Have you ever wondered where terms like 'end of your tether', 'gets my goat' or 'letting ones hair down' come from? Or why we call some people 'geezers', 'sugar daddies' or 'lounge lizards'? Or where the words 'eavesdropping', 'nickname' and 'D-Day' come from? They are just a few of the many words and phrases that language expert Max Cryer examines in this fact-filled and fun new book. Max explains where these curious expressions come from, what they mean and how they are used. Along the way he tells a host of colourful anecdotes and dispels quite a few myths - Did Churchill originate the phrase 'black dog'? And if 'ivory tower' can be found in the Bible, why has its meaning changed so drastically? Curious English Words and Phrases is a treasure trove for lovers of language. Informative, amusing and value for money, this book is 'the real McCoy'. From 'couch potato' to 'Bob's your uncle', you'll find the explanation here!

A delightful, enthralling tale of vast imagination depicting a band of refugee cats in their quest for a "Purrfect Paradise." In the aftermath of a great war between cats, humans and dogs, cats are banished and they flee persecution in their homeland. Their adventures as they follow Holey Moses, their leader, and his canine friends, Brutus and Caesar, and eventual colonisation of a Brave New World, are portrayed with humour, and a sense of fun. But with a subtle underlying theme of everyday human issues, aspirations, endurance and achievement. The refugee cats set out to conquer a new world in true pioneering style, and encounter danger, betrayal, rebellion, romance, laughter and fun. A brilliant tale not just for cat lovers, but will capture hearts and imagination of the young, and young at heart.