A slang dictionary is a

reference book A reference work is a work, such as a paper, book or periodical (or their electronic equivalents), to which one can refer for information. The information is intended to be found quickly when needed. Such works are usually ''referred'' to ...

containing an alphabetical list of

slang Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-gr ...

, which is

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

vocabulary A vocabulary is a set of familiar words within a person's language. A vocabulary, usually developed with age, serves as a useful and fundamental tool for communication and acquiring knowledge. Acquiring an extensive vocabulary is one of the ...

not generally acceptable in formal usage, usually including information given for each word, including meaning, pronunciation, and

etymology Etymology () The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the form of words ...

. It can provide definitions on a range of slang from more mundane terms (like " rain check" or "

bob and weave In boxing, bobbing and weaving is a defensive technique that moves the head both beneath and laterally of an incoming punch. As the opponent's punch arrives, the fighter bends the legs quickly and simultaneously shifts the body either slightly ...

") to obscure sexual practices. Such works also can include words and phrases arising from different

dialect The term dialect (from Latin , , from the Ancient Greek word , 'discourse', from , 'through' and , 'I speak') can refer to either of two distinctly different types of linguistic phenomena: One usage refers to a variety of a language that is ...

s and

argot A cant is the jargon or language of a group, often employed to exclude or mislead people outside the group.McArthur, T. (ed.) ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (1992) Oxford University Press It may also be called a cryptolect, argo ...

s, which may or may not have passed into more common usage. They can also track the changing meaning of the terms over time and space, as they migrate and mutate.

Famous slang dictionaries

17th and 18th centuries

Slang dictionaries have been around for hundreds of years.
The Canting Academy, or Devil's Cabinet Opened
' was a 17th-century slang dictionary, written in 1673 by

Richard Head Richard Head ( 1637 – before June 1686) was an Irish author, playwright and bookseller. He became famous with his satirical novel ''The English Rogue'' (1665), one of the earliest novels in English that found a continental translation. Life ...

, that looked to define

thieves' cant Thieves' cant (also known as thieves' argot, rogues' cant, or peddler's French) is a cant, cryptolect, or argot which was formerly used by thieves, beggars, and hustlers of various kinds in Great Britain and to a lesser extent in other English- ...

. ''

A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew ''A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew'' is a dictionary of English cant and slang by a compiler known only by the initials B. E., first published in London c. 1698. With over 4,000 entries, it was the most ex ...

'', was first published circa 1698.
A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
', by

Francis Grose Francis Grose (born before 11 June 1731 – 12 May 1791) was an English antiquary, draughtsman, and lexicographer. He produced ''A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue'' (1785) and ''A Provincial Glossary, with a Collection of Local Pr ...

was first published in 1785. Grose's work was arguably the most significant English-language slang dictionary until

John Camden Hotten John Camden Hotten (12 September 1832, Clerkenwell – 14 June 1873, Hampstead) was an English bibliophile and publisher. He is best known for his clandestine publishing of numerous erotic and pornographic titles. Life Hotten was born John Will ...

's 1859 '' A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words''.

Tony Thorne Tony Thorne (born 1950 in Cairo, Egypt) is a British author, linguist and lexicographer specialising in slang, jargon and cultural history. He is a leading authority on language change and language usage in the UK and across the English-speaking w ...

(2000) "Slang and the Dictionary".

Modern times

In recent years, dictionaries with a more academic focus have tried to bring together etymological studies in an attempt to provide definitive guides to slang while avoiding problems arising from

folk etymology Folk etymology (also known as popular etymology, analogical reformation, reanalysis, morphological reanalysis or etymological reinterpretation) is a change in a word or phrase resulting from the replacement of an unfamiliar form by a more famili ...

and

false etymology A false etymology (fake etymology, popular etymology, etymythology, pseudo-etymology, or par(a)etymology) is a popular but false belief about the origin or derivation of a specific word. It is sometimes called a folk etymology, but this is also a ...

. The study of slang is now taken seriously by academics, especially lexicographers like the late

Eric Partridge Eric Honeywood Partridge (6 February 1894 – 1 June 1979) was a New Zealand– British lexicographer of the English language, particularly of its slang. His writing career was interrupted only by his service in the Army Education Corps an ...

, devoting their energies to the field and publishing on it, including producing slang dictionaries.

Examples

* '' Green's Dictionary of Slang'' (by

Jonathon Green Jonathon Green (born 20 April 1948 in Kidderminster, Worcestershire) is an English lexicographer of slang and writer on the history of alternative cultures. Jonathon Green is often referred to as the English-speaking world's leading lexicograph ...

, Chambers, ), 2010 comprising three volumes: A–E; F–O; P–Z * ''Chambers Slang Dictionary'' (by

, Chambers Harrap Publishers, ), 2008 previously ''Cassell Dictionary of Slang'' ( Cassell Reference, 1998; last edition 2006, ) *''

Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English ''A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English'' is a dictionary of slang originally compiled by the noted lexicographer of the English language, Eric Partridge. The first edition was published in 1937 and seven editions were eventually publ ...

'' (by

and Paul Beale,

Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...

, 2002, ) *''The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang'' (by John Ayto and John Simpson,

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

, 2005, )

Vulgar slang

There have also been a subsequent amount of

tongue-in-cheek The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner. History The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scot ...

efforts which tend to focus on the more vulgar slang terms: *''

Roger's Profanisaurus ''Roger's Profanisaurus'' is a humorous book published in the United Kingdom by Dennis Publishing which is written in the style of a lexicon of profane words and expressions. The book is marketed as "the foulest-mouthed book ever to stalk the f ...

Rex: The Ultimate Swearing Dictionary'' (third edition, '' Viz'', 2005, ) *''Slang Defined'' (by Aaron Peckham,

Andrews McMeel Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC (formerly Andrews, McMeel and Parker (1975–1986) and Andrews and McMeel (1986–1997)) is a company that publishes books, calendars, and related toys. It is a part of Andrews McMeel Universal (which comprises AM ...

, 2006, ) *'' Urban Dictionary'' (By Aaron Peckham), 1999

References

External links

* British Library ''Texts in Context''
1785 – Grose's Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
{{Gutenberg, no=5402, name=A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue
fromoldbooks.org version of the Vulgar Tongue with one page per entry, links to examples and to another canting (thieving) dictionary

A 1737 dictionary of canting slang produced by Nathan Bailey

Three Centuries of Canting Songs and Slang Rhyme, edited by John Farmer (1896)

Dictionaries by type *

Dictionary A dictionary is a listing of lexemes from the lexicon of one or more specific languages, often arranged alphabetically (or by radical and stroke for ideographic languages), which may include information on definitions, usage, etymologie ...

Linguistics books