"Cultural criticism takes the form of a dictionary in this slender, amusing volume." A must read for a post-factual world, the expanded edition of The Evasion-English Dictionary is an insightful roadmap to popular words and phrases that reveal what we really mean, despite our use of what Richard Lederer called "linguistic camouflage."
More than just a dictionary of euphemisms by a hip young linguist, The Evasion-English Dictionary is a merciless translation of the banalities of contemporary speech. It's also scathingly funny. For example, Balistreri asks what if you substituted the word "you" for the phrase "the relationship" in the sentence, "There seem to be a lot of problems with the relationship." Or what if you substituted the word "because" for the word "but" in the sentence "They drive me crazy but my parents are very involved in my life." Entertaining as it is, however, the E.E.D. is also a thought-provoking and insightful look into the twists and turns of modern English usage a smart and useful, albeit hysterical, earwitness account of verbal mishaps and manipulations that's destined to become a classic with language lovers and a useful reference tool on the desk of writers everywhere.
With more than 1,200 terms, this A to Z dictionary is a hard-hitting, politically savvy translation of all those evasions, put-on-holds, distortions, circumventions, obfuscations, and misleading terms used by government, businesses, and the media.
We all use euphemisms every day. We speak of "full-figured" women. We "fudge" on our income tax. We step lively to avoid "horse apples"--and step even livelier in the grip of the "Aztec Two-step." We say that the dead have "bit the dust" or have been "promoted to glory." Now, in A Dictionary of Euphemisms, Revised Edition, R. W. Holder gives us an engaging volume that celebrates this human tendency to use mild, vague or roundabout expressions rather than those which are blunt, precise, and disagreeably true. Here are thousands of entertaining and informative entries that range from long-established circumlocutions such as "everlasting life," "the Grim Reaper," "powder room," and "house of ill repute," to recent coinages such as "odorously challenged" (smelly), "corporate entertainment" (bribery), "AMW - actress, model, whatever" (prostitute), "downsizing" (laying off workers), and "white-knuckler" (a commercial flight on a small aircraft). Arranged in alphabetical order, the Dictionary gives definitions, examples from real authors, and historical explanations where appropriate. Holder also includes an extensive bibliography and, equally important, a Thematic Index, so that readers can look up euphemistic words and expressions for Death, Mental Illness, Narcotics, Obesity, Poverty, and other topics. A Dictionary of Euphemisms is a browser's delight and an essential reference book for all lovers of language. Readers will find in it a captivating guide to the art of not saying what we mean.
Switzerland's exceptional scenic beauty of valleys, lakes, and mountains, its central location on international trade routes, and its world famous banking system are just a few elements that have contributed to its rise in the global market. It consists of twenty-six member states, called cantons and it’s actively engaged in the maintenance of peace among nations. The history of the Swiss Confederation is as rich and varied as its culture and people. This updated second edition of Historical Dictionary of Switzerland features the nation's multicultural and democratic traditions and institutions, its complex history, and its people's involvement in past and present world affairs. This is done through a list of abbreviations and acronyms, a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, maps, a bibliography, and over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on important persons, places, events, and institutions, as well as significant political, economic, social, and cultural aspects. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone who wants to know more about Switzerland.
This is the revised edition of our consistent bestseller, the English-English-Hindi Dictionary edited by Dr Suresh Kumar and Dr Ramanath Sahai contains more than 52,000 entries, related phrases, idioms and more than 200 illustrations. Like our other Bilingual Dictionaries, this has beenspecially compiled for learners of English, teachers, translators and general readers. English-English-Hindi Dictionary companion DVD The print dictionary also has a companion DVD with the following features: * A search option that can be used to search through the entire wordlist of the dictionary.* Each of the headwords and derivatives in the dictionary has an audio for pronunciation guide which the user can listen to by clicking on an icon.* The user can also type in Hindi to search through the Hindi part of the dictionary.