A compendium of American proverbs, expressions, slang, colloquialisms; British-US glossary; abbreviations and acronyms; and other various odds and ends. Widely used by non-native speakers and translators.

The American English Compendium is a fun way to explore the nuances of the English language—learn that a group of lions is called a pride; a group of whales, a pod; and a group of owls, a parliament. Distinguish between a quack and a shyster. Learn that “tabling a motion” in a U.S. court has an opposite meaning from the same term in England. This book picks up where other language dictionaries leave off: it includes common proverbs, a sampling of American English versus British English, popular American expressions and slang, acronyms, and varied information on everything from wildlife to currency. In this new edition, the staples have been updated and fresh chapters have been added, with information on pronunciation, oddball English words, and even some of the new Internet terminology, including Twitterspeak.

Everything the formal dictionaries don't tell about the odds and ends of the greatest language in the world-- American English

A compendium of American proverbs, expressions, slang, colloquialisms; British-US glossary; abbreviations and acronyms and other various odds and ends. Widely used by non-native speakers and translators.

Here is a wonderful Baedeker to down-and-dirty politics--more than six hundred slang terms straight from the smoke-filled rooms of American political speech. Hatchet Jobs and Hardball: The Oxford Dictionary of American Political Slang illuminates a rich and colorful segment of our language. Readers will find informative entries on slang terms such as Beltway bandit and boondoggle, angry white male and leg treasurer, juice bill and Joe Citizen, banana superpower and the Big Fix. We find not only the meaning and history of familiar terms such as gerrymander, but also of lesser-known terms such as cracking (splitting a bloc of like-minded voters by redistricting) and fair-fight district (which refers to areas redistricted to favor no political party). Each entry includes the definition of the word, its historical background, and illuminating citations, some going back more than 200 years. (We learn, for instance, that a term as seemingly current as political football actually dates back to before the Civil War.) Selected entries will have extended encyclopedic notes. The book also features sidebar essays on topics such as political words in Blogistan; a short history of "big cheese"; all about chads and the 2000 election; the suffix "-gate" and all the related Watergate terms; and the naming of legislation. Political junkies, policy wonks, journalists, and word lovers will find this book addictive reading as well as a reliable guide to one of the more colorful corners of American English.

A comprehensive disctionary of common misusages illustrates the right way and the wrong way to use language and explores why dictionaries do not always provide the correct meaning or usage of a word.

Here is the greatest assembly of hand tools ever assembled. It is a fascinating chronicle of nearly every tool ever used in North America, including ancient tools used by Native Americans; trade tools used to create coaches, pianos, ships, and saddles; tools for harvesting farm goods, turpentine, and ice; and tools for fine trades such as bookbinding and watch repair. The tools are organized according to profession, from Beekeeper to Wheelwright, and will fascinate todays practitioners of these trades and hobbies. This comprehensive volume includes more than 4,500 images from catalog illustrations, trade literature, and hand drawings. Descriptions provide dimensions and applications. This is a must have for the tool collector and antique dealer, as well as anyone fascinated by the means of production.

Previously published as: 21st century American English compendium, 3rd ed., 2006.

Learn the language of Nebraska . . .and 49 other states With more entries than any other reference of its kind,McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs shows you how American English is spoken today. You will find commonly used phrasal verbs, idiomatic expressions, proverbial expressions, and clichés. The dictionary contains more than 24,000 entries, each defined and followed by one or two example sentences. It also includes a Phrase-Finder Index with more than 60,000 entries.