Dictionaries & Encyclopedias
American Heritage Abbreviations DictionaryPresents some 20,000 terms that appear in text messages, chatrooms, websites, sports statistics, travel brochures, airports, personal ads, and countless other places in a world where shorthand is the true universal language.
The American Heritage Dictionary of IdiomsExplores the meanings of idioms, including phrasal verbs such as "kick back", proverbs such as "too many cooks spoil the broth", interjections such as "tough beans", and figures of speech such as "elephant in the room".
The American Heritage Guide to Contemporary Usage and StyleThis authoritative survey of English usage, grammar, and style offers guidance on almost any writing problem imaginable. Arranged in a single, easy-to-use A-Z list, the guide's entries include examples and quotations that show not only correct and incorrect usage but also the relative effectiveness of different expressions in context.
Dictionary of Contemporary SlangWith more than 7,000 definitions, this book provides a definitive guide to the use of slang today. It deals with drugs, sport and contemporary society, as well as favourite slang topics such as sex and bodily functions.
Dictionary of EponymsAn eponym is the name of a person after whom something is named, for example Lord Sandwich gave his name to the sandwich. This book tells the stories of nearly one thousand men and women whose names have become part of the English language.
Dictionary of Linguistics & PhoneticsDefinitions of terms in the field of linguistics and phonetics.
Dictionary of UntranslatablesIncludes close to 400 important philosophical, literary, and political terms and concepts that defy easy--or any--translation from one language and culture to another. Drawn from more than a dozen languages, terms such as Dasein (German), pravda (Russian), saudade (Portuguese), and stato (Italian) are thoroughly examined in all their cross-linguistic and cross-cultural complexities.
Rawson's Dictionary of Euphemisms and Other DoubletalkHugh Rawson explains, in clear language, what it means when we talk of an unusual occurrence, a crew transfer container, or Montezuma's revenge. If you have ever been baffled by the expression culturally deprived, or want to know where the phrase deep-six comes from, then this book will certainly be of service.
Books
Concise Encyclopedia of SociolinguisticsProvides uniquely comprehensive and authoritative information on all aspects of sociolinguistics.
A Dictionary of SociolinguisticsThe first comprehensive dictionary of the field of sociolinguistics, this is a valuable reference book for students and teachers of sociolinguistics, others concerned with the socially-oriented study of language and those with a professional interest in language.
Good Word GuideThis fully updated edition of the bestselling Good Word Guide offers information and advice on spelling, grammar, punctuation, pronunciation, confusables and the latest buzzwords, and provides clear, straightforward answers to everyday language problems.
Key Ideas in Linguistics and the Philosophy of LanguageOffers introductory entries on ideas that have shaped the study of language up to the present day.
Key Thinkers in Linguistics and the Philosophy of LanguageA unique and accessible reference guide to the work of figures who have played an important role in the development of ideas about language.
Word Histories and MysteriesProvides a panoramic view of the unique richness of English, uncovering the origins of five hundred everyday words whose surprising and often amusing stories offer insights into the history of humankind.
Word OriginsThe origins of thousands of words in the English language explored and explained.