Books in the A History Of Cant and Slang Dictionaries series

Volume III of this acclaimed history casts light on life across the globe - from Canadian and Australian settlers, London cockneys, and American schoolboys to New York ganglang, the narcotics trade, and the entertainment business. A book for everyone interested in language, lexicography, class, poverty, sexuality, and the criminal underworld.

The first of three volumes comprising a complete history of the recording of English cant and slang - the jargon of sport, trade, and crime - which give unparalleled insights into the history of slang and the people who used it. Provides information on words and their meanings such as 'ziff' (a young thief), and 'arsworm' (a diminutive fellow).

The second volume (volume 1, 1567-1784, published in January 2004) of Julie Coleman's fascinating and entertaining history of the uses and the recording of slang and criminal cant takes the story from 1785 to 1858 and explores its first manifestations in the USA and Australia.

In the fourth volume of her pioneering history, Julie Coleman considers the trends of lexicographers in a period dominated by the Second World War, the Cold War, civil rights movements, and varying youth trends. It will fascinate all those interested in slang and its relationship with social and cultural change.