Washoe County Library System

Rhyming text and illustrations of comical cats present numerous examples of adjectives, from "hairy, scary, cool, and ordinary" to "tan and tall," "funny, frisky, smooth, and small."

Explains the concept of homonyms and homophones.

Traces the development of the English language from its earliest beginnings to modern English, explaining how individual words evolved as a result of events in English history, and through usage.

"An American linguist teaching in England explores the sibling rivalry between British and American English. "If Shakespeare were alive today, he'd sound like an American." "English accents are the sexiest." "Americans have ruined the English language." "Technology means everyone will have to speak the same English." Such claims about the English language are often repeated but rarely examined. Professor Lynne Murphy is on the linguistic front line....

With more than 7,000 definitions, this book provides a definitive guide to the use of slang today. It deals with drugs, sport and contemporary society, as well as favourite slang topics such as sex and bodily functions. In this fully updated fourth edition of the highly acclaimed Dictionary of Contemporary Slang, language and culture expert Tony Thorne explores the ever-changing underworld of the English language, bringing back intriguing examples...