First published in 1949 (this edition in 1968), this book is a dictionary of the past, exploring the language of the criminal and near-criminal worlds. It includes entries from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa, as well as from Britain and America and offers a fascinating and unique study of language. The book provides an invaluable insight into social history, with the British vocabulary dating back to the 16th century and the American to the late 18th century. Each entry comes complete with the approximate date of origin, the etymology for each word, and a note of the milieu in which the expression arose.

"The Criminal" by Havelock Ellis. Published by Good Press. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. From well-known classics & literary fiction and non-fiction to forgotten−or yet undiscovered gems−of world literature, we issue the books that need to be read. Each Good Press edition has been meticulously edited and formatted to boost readability for all e-readers and devices. Our goal is to produce eBooks that are user-friendly and accessible to everyone in a high-quality digital format.

First published in 1897, “A Dictionary of Slang, Jargon and Cant” includes definitions for a wide range of contemporary slang-English words, as well as those relating to American, Anglo-Indian slang, pidgin English, “gypsies' jargon”, and other interesting contemporary phraseology. English is a language that has been forever changing, gaining vibrancy and colour from many other languages, countries, cultures and communities. This volume explores some of the influences, providing definitions, examples, etymological information, and more. Highly recommended for all lovers of the English Language. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly scarce and expensive. It is with this in mind that we are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction.