The First English Dictionary of Slang 1699

Description

The first work dedicated solely to the subject of slang words and their meanings, this book is a lost gem originally intended to educate the polite London classes in the parlance of thieves and ruffians, should they be so unlucky as to wander into the 'wrong' parts of town. Written originally for the education of the polite London classes in 'canting' - the language of thieves and ruffians - should they be so unlucky as to wander into the 'wrong' parts of town, A New Dictionary of Terms, Ancient and Modern, of the Canting Crew by 'B.E. Gent' is the first work dedicated solely to the subject of slang words and their meanings. It is also the first text which attempts to show the overlap and integration between canting words and common slang. In its refusal to distinguish between criminal vocabulary and the more ordinary everyday English of the period, it sets canting words side by side with terms used by sailors, labourers, and those in the common currency of domestic culture. With an introduction by John Simpson, chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, describing the history and culture of canting in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as the evolution of English slang, this is a fascinating volume for anyone with a curiosity about language, or wishing to reintroduce 'Dandyprat' or 'Fizzle' into their everyday conversation. Anglers, c Cheats, petty Thievs, who have a Stick with a hook at the end, with which they pluck things out of Windows, Grates, &c. also those that draw in People to be cheated. Dandyprat, a little puny Fellow. Grumbletonians, Malecontents, out of Humour with the Government, for want of a Place, or having lost one. Strum, c. a Periwig. Rum-Strum, c. a long Wig; also a handsom Wench, or Strumpet. 'An invaluable guide to the argot of seventeenth-century low London.' - Peter Ackroyd

John Simpson is Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. He edited (with Edmund Weiner) the Second Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, published to great acclaim in 1989. Together with John Ayno, he is also co-editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Slang. He is a world expert on proverbs and slang, has edited dictionaries and regularly lectures and broadcasts on the English language

"An invaluable guide to the argot of seventeenth-century low London." - Peter Ackroyd "Gives us a sense of how rich a mine the English language is and how ingenious its users. Slang is eternal." - Alexander Theroux, Wall Street Journal "A fascinating insight into a bygone linguistic age." - David Crystal