Overview
From Albuquerque to Melbourne to Zanzibar, a lively tour of English usage around the world
Is "What’s up, Doc?" an appropriate response to a Scot who asks if you’re wabbit?
Is it logical to assume that a cowhand has been dipping into the loco weed when he tells you he’s six feet above snakes?
If an Australian gives you heaps, should you thank him, laugh, get angry, or see a doctor?
With World English, you’ll never be in the dark about the meanings of these and thousands of other English words and phrases. Featuring complete definitions of almost 3,000 English terms from around the world, World English is an endless source of insight, inspiration, and fun for writers, word mavens, international business people, students, and sophisticated travelers alike.
The only A-to-Z reference to English usage around the world
- Features almost 3,000 English words and phrases
- Entries include concise definitions, regions of origin, cross-cultural synonyms, and notes on etymology
"We have adopted as words Bartlett’s and Webster’s; maybe someday, we’ll have Hendrickson’s as a generic term."Library Journal, from a review of Human Words
Synopsis
English is spoken by more than a billion people worldwide. And from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Portsmouth, England, to Papua New Guinea, wherever it is spoken, the English language is enriched by its diverse speakers. Expressions such as the delightfully evocative Jamaican belly-god (a greedy, gluttonous person), the efficiently upbeat Japanese conflation imejiappu (to "image-up" or improve one’s image), and the archly truculent Australianism spine-bashing ("loafing" or "resting"), are just a few examples of the countless regional twists on English usage that can both charm and bewilder the unprepared traveler, foreign movie fan, or word buff.
The first A-to-Z reference to English diction in all its flavors, hues, tones, and timbres, World English is your best hedge against this increasingly common cause of vocabulary-induced bumfuzzlement.
Written by Robert Hendrickson, the distinguished author of several critically acclaimed works on the English language–including the internationally celebrated Human Words–World English contains almost 3,000 carefully selected words and phrases culled from fifty regional variations on the English-language theme. Each entry includes a concise definition and the term’s region of origin, and many offer an example sentence showing how the word is used. In many cases, entries are enlivened by amusing and enlightening anecdotes and fun facts relating to a term’s history and varying uses that frequently provide
fascinating insights into the culture from which it arose.
In addition to offering entries from countries or regions where English is the first language–including the British Isles, the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand–World English features words from countries where English is one of several official languages, such as India, South Africa, and Malaysia. You’ll also find dozens of examples of English words and phrases that have made their way into non-English-speaking countries, sometimes with a surprising twist in meaning, such as the French un slow (an American-style blues song), the Italian lo slip (men’s underwear), and the Japanese stand play (to perform ostentatiously for an audience).
World English is sure to become a staple among word lovers, travelers, and anyone alive to the rich cultural tapestry that is the new global village.
Library Journal
Around the world, more than a billion people speak English, some fluently and some with only a passing familiarity. Here Hendrickson has compiled a fair representation of words spoken by English speakers of many types, balancing the number of words with the detail of their definitions in a single-volume dictionary. Hendrickson's love of the English language is apparent in his unusual presentation of the book's entries, which provide etymology and region of origin. The heavy emphasis on words from North America and the British Isles is, however, unfortunate. Many sources already cover idioms and expressions from these regions, and the expressions that have gained popularity in places where English is spoken less than perfectly are often the most interesting and illuminating. Hendrickson's previous 25 books include Salty Words, a book about sailors' lexicon, and Animal Crackers, about words we have derived from our relationships with animals. While his latest is entertaining and informative, it is not a topnotch reference book. Manya Chylinski, Ernst & Young Ctr. for Business Knowledge, Boston Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.