Exotic dancers begin disappearing around the South Bay area in record numbers just after a well-fed, 6-foot alligator is spotted in the San Pedro's Machado Lake. Alto saxophonist Loose Bezich, whose topless terpsichorean girlfriend is terrified, doesn't believe in such concurrences. Loose calls on bandleader and fellow-jazzman Lars Lindstrom to help him check out the scene. Lars, musician turned detective, faces is biggest challenge to date as California's "Reggie-gator" serial killer becomes obsessed with the trumpet man's beautiful Norwegian lady. A story set in the cities of San Pedro, Denver and Boulder, and the French Riviera.

Dictionary of American slang, covering all eras of American history with accurate definitions and extensive, dated citations.

From cowpokes to cyber punks, from flappers to gangsta rappers, American Slang chronicles the ever-evolving, informal, unconventional language we use every day. Expanded and completely updated, this 2nd edition contains thousands of contemporary and traditional slang expressions, including the newest computer lingo and slang from the Internet. Entries Feature: Definitions Pronunciations Time and place origins Editorial notes Cross-references Examples that illustrate and validate usage Synonyms and variant forms Impact symbols

The fourth edition of this authoritative reference offers clear definitions for the slang words and idioms used in everyday American conversation. First published in 1960, this newly updated edition of Dictionary of American Slang traces the language of today back to its American roots. With thousands of entries ranging from the widely accepted to the taboo and obscure, slang words are explained in terms of definition, usage, and historical etymology. As language continues to evolve at an ever-increasing rate, Dictionary of American Slang offers an essential guide to the terms that are here to stay—as well as those that might otherwise be forgotten.

This unique reference covers every aspect of the literature of popular songs from the 16th century to 1987. Compiling 11,000 songs from the English-Speaking world, The Great Song Thesaurus, Second Edition, Updated and Expanded provides pertinent information about each entry - including year of popularity, the composer, lyricist, record sales, Hit Parade and air ranking, and the names of artists who recorded the 'Top Hit' songs since 1940 - and indexes these song titles by subject, key word, key lyric line and category. Completely cross-referenced throughout, information associated with each song is easily accessible in any of the book's ten parts.