A Dictionary of Slang

What riches are here!

The sub-title of the 1400-page reference book originally compiled by the great Eric Partridge, published in 1937 and now in an eighth edition scrupulously edited by Paul Beale is “…and Unconventional English, Colloquialisms and Catch Phrases, Fossilised Jokes and Puns, General Nicknames, Vulgarisms and such Americanisms as have been naturalised”.

Then there are the appendices, which include Australian surfing slang, Army slang in the South African War, Railwaymen’s slang and nicknames, Clergymen’s diction in the Church of England, Spanglish, Canadian adolescents’ slang 1946 and around ninety other recondite and fascinating topics.

The details under these headings could provide material for weekly posts throughout 2005, but for the moment I will just mention one thing that has struck me while glancing idly at random entries in the body of the dictionary: some of the words or phrases which sound as if they mean something improper are in fact quite innocent, while some respectable-sounding ones would seldom be used in polite society. Examples of the former are toss in the alley (to die), null-groper (a street-sweeper) and prick-louse (a tailor). And of the latter nugging-dress, number nip, and nurtle (buy the book and look them up; they are all on the same page).