Dewdroppers, Waldos, and Slackers: A Decade-By-Decade Guide to the Vanishing Vocabulary of the Twentieth Century

According to linguist and librarian Ostler,""thousands of slang words and expressions entered American English between 1900 and 1999."" Among these, some expressions--like""groovy,""""straight skinny"" and""Okie""--grew dated and fell out of use. Others--such as""cakewalk"" and""motor court""--metamorphosed and entered the general lexicon. Organized by decade and ingeniously presented both in lists and in short historical essays, Ostler's definitions are clear and amusing. For any lexiphile curious to know what Depression-era hobos called the local jail or how the term""go ballistic"" emerged in the 1980s, this guide will be a pleasure. B&w photos.