The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English (Google eBook)

Grant Barrett

McGraw Hill Professional, May 24, 2010 - Reference - 288 pages

More than 750 brand-new words that make "bling-bling" sound so five minutes ago

For readers who want to be on the cutting edge of the English lexicon or for dedicated word geeks, The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English presents more than 750 words that have unofficially joined the English language. These words are hot off the street, new even to cyberspace, and definitely not found in Webster's. Each entry features a definition, etymology, and at least three citations from print and the Internet that show the evolution of its meaning.

Entries include:

Bangalored (adj.) having been relocated to India; having lost business or employment due to such a relocation.

Paleoconservative (n.) a holder of outdated or old-fashioned conservative beliefs.

Barbecue Stopper (n.) a topic of constant and widespread conversation, especially a divisive political or social issue.

What people are saying

Review: The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English: A Crunk Omnibus for Thrillionairs and Bampots for the Ecozoic Age

User Review  - David - Goodreads

I wanted to like this book much more than I actually did. Grant Barrett is a highly-respected lexicographer who maintains the excellent website, the double-tongued dictionary. From his bio on that ...

book of unusual words

User Review  - mchlanda - Overstock.com

This book contains some very unusual words. Many I've never heard of. Worth looking into to see how the language has changed. ...

About the author

Grant Barrett is a lexicographer and project editor for the Historical Dictionary of American Slang for Oxford University Press. He is the founder and editor of the Double-Tongued Word Wrester Dictionary (doubletongued.org), a popular website that tracks new words from the fringes of English.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English; Selling power
• Author: Grant Barrett
• Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional, 2010
• ISBN: 0071491635, 9780071491631
• Length: 288 pages
• Subjects: Reference / Dictionaries