Lillo Antonio, Victor Terry. A Dictionary of English Rhyming Slangs

Closs Traugott Elizabeth, Kortmann Bernd (eds.). — Berlin: De Gruyter Mouton, 2017. — 27, 1358 p. — (Topics in English Linguistics [TiEL] 98). — ISBN 978-3-11-052928-9; e-ISBN 978-3-11-053552-5; e-ISBN 978-3-11-053367-5.The Dictionary of Rhyming Slangs is a comprehensive and authoritative survey of rhyming slangs in the anglophone world. With a scope ranging from the 1830s to the current decade, this prodigious collection of over 9,000 headwords reveals the dialects and diverse forms of discourse where this engaging and surprising subset of lexis thrives. Multiple senses are listed chronologically etymologies, commentaries and citations support each usage.This reference work addresses a long-standing need in the study of a class of lexis which attracts attention from scholars and the general public alike. Based on years of extensive research, the dictionary presents a satisfying collection of the varieties of rhyming slang found in and around English-speaking communities worldwide. It covers all forms of rhyming slang in the anglophone world by users from differing social groups and walks of life: criminals, musicians, anglers, second-hand car dealers and sheep-shearers, among many others. Besides ordinary lexical items, this work also lists nicknames and one-off expressions found in culturally valued works, from the fields of literary fiction, poetry, comics, TV and radio series, and films. Each entry is accompanied by chronologically ordered citations from a wide variety of sources (printed and otherwise) showing a word's life and currency. The scope, size and approach of this significant compilation, supported by a substantial bibliography, make it an indispensable work of reference for anyone with an interest in English slang and a key starting point for future research on the origins, social history and development of this fascinating area of the English lexicon.