From Amazon.com
Did you know that the word "juke" (as in "jukebox") comes from the West African language Wolof and means "to make mischief"? Or that the slang expression "bogus" reaches as far back as 1797, when it signified a counterfeit coin? Like the country from which it emerged, American English is a vital multicultural stew of sources and influences. Word by word and year by year,
America in So Many Words traces the origins and historical context of America's distinctive additions to the English language, from "canoe" (1555) all the way to "Ebonics" (1997). "O.K.," for instance, appeared in 1838 as part of a Boston fad for abbreviations--in this case, the humorously misspelled "all correct." "Rock and roll," America's equally famous contribution to the world lexicon, was first popularized in 1951 by disc jockey Alan Freed--his way to sidestep a prohibition against playing African American music for white audiences. A fascinating reference you'll read from cover to cover,
America in So Many Words beautifully illustrates the ways in which history and vocabulary converge.
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From Library Journal
From skunk and canoe in the 16th century to virtual reality and soccer mom in the late 20th century, this year-by-year review highlights words that have had an indelible American origin or meaning. Barnhart and Metcalf, two longtime lexicographers, have selected one particularly significant word for each year and, through anecdotes and historical details, discuss its roots, development, and importance. In 1864, for example, a deadline was an actual line drawn in the dirt to restrict Civil War prisoners ("If you cross this line, you're dead"). The 1891 term country club is juxtaposed with sweatshop in 1892 and connected by the apt little poem: "The golf links lie so near the mill/ That almost every day/ The laboring children can look out/ And see the men at play." Teenager appeared in 1938, followed by DJs, rock'n'roll, and fast food in the 1950s. This entertaining cultural history is recommended for general collections.?Ilse Heidmann, San Marcos, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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