The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English

Praise for the first edition:

'A veritable Madame Tussaud’s of the vulgar language. It is a really epoch-making, monumental piece of work, carried out with astonishing industry and learning.' – New Statesman

'Most slang dictionaries are no better than momgrams or a rub of the brush, put together by shmegegges looking to make some moola. [TheNew Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English]is the wee babes. At more than 2,000 pages it's mondo and pretty authoritative, including entries not only from the United Kingdom and America but also from Australia, New Zealand, India and the Caribbean. Who's the daddy?!'–Guardian

'One of the many benefits of owning the two-volume New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, is that you can dip in just about anywhere and enjoy the exuberant, endless display of human inventiveness with language.' – BOOKFORUM

'The grandfather of twentieth-century slang books'The New Yorker, May 14, 2012

Praise for the second edition:

'The Partridge canon is certainly a well-used reference work here at the British Library: invaluable in documenting developments in English slang while supporting the day-to-day curatorial activity of describing, transcribing and interpreting the Library's sound recordings of vernacular speech. Linguistic researchers and devotees of the English Language will, I suspect, appreciate greatly the developments in context and presentation in this latest edition of the dictionary... I am sure the Partridge brand will continue to evolve and be rightly revered for years to come.'- English Today

Praise for the first edition:

'A veritable Madame Tussaud’s of the vulgar language. It is a really epoch-making, monumental piece of work, carried out with astonishing industry and learning.' – New Statesman

'The editors have created a truly new Partridge. It encompasses the entire English-speaking world and focuses on slang and unconventional English used or created since 1945... This dictionary informs, but it also entertains' – Booklist

'Massive and endlessly fascinating.' – Mail on Sunday, UK

'It’s huge, informative, fascinating, funny and rude. You can dip into it and it would keep you howling with laughter for months.' –Daily Mail, UK (acclaim for the previous edition)

'It would keep me going until well into the year 3000, as I am insatiably curious as far as wanting to know the origin of words, and have always loved slang.' – Charlotte Bingham

'This dictionary is huge fun. If you get a lot of Christmas book tokens, buy yourself a copy ... it could do more than most to encourage an interest in the history and development of the English language and to nurture a fascination for words and their precise usage.' –TheTimes Literary Supplement

'[4 stars] This two- volume set differs from its predecessors in a number of notable respects. Partridge’s classification by register (slang, cant, jocular, vulgar, etc.) has been rejected as “subjective and not particularly useful.” A wider net has been cast in terms of selection, with Partridge’s original limitation to Great Britain now expanded to encompass the broader English-speaking world, partly in recognition of the growing importance of American slang. The only real departure from Partridge’s broad use-based criteria for selection is a much diminished body of nicknames. Some work has been put into correcting Partridge’s errors in dating, but detailed research was not possible for every entry. Finally, having noted in their introduction the diminished value of Partridge’s work following World War II, as Partridge and Beale (the editor of the eighth edition) failed to assimilate the great cultural changes of the era, the editors of this set have chosen for inclusion slang and unconventional English heard and used at any time after 1945. Entries typically use standard English for definitions, turning to slang only when it is both substantially more economical and readily understood by the average reader. The gloss for each entry includes attestations of the head word’s or phrase’s usage, usually in the form of a quotation.' – Reference & Research Book News

'The usefulness of this text extends beyond modern interpretation interests, however, which is readily apparent upon close examination of the entries. Country of origin is indicated where relevant, for instance. Only sources cited five or more times are included in the extensive bibliography, which ranges from print reference to big-screen media examples, with plenty of details for locating primary sources or indicating extent of usage. Not for the small or spatially challenged, but large public and academic libraries shouldn't shy away.' – Library Journal

'To [the editors'] credit, no term is excluded because it might be considered offensive as a racial, ethnic, religious, sexual, or any kind of slur. As such, this work attempts to honestly reflect the 'cultural transformations' embodied by slang and unconventional English since 1945, a particular turbulent and change-laden time. TheNew Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English will be seen by many librarians, both academic and public, as a standard source and a necessary purchase.' – Against the Grain

'In this new edition ... the editors have succeeded in remaining true to the Partridge tradition, observing high standards of lexicography while producing an accessible work.' – Choice

'Maintaining the integrity of the former editions and adding new words representative of the 20th and 21st centuries, this dictionary will be useful to a wide range of readers … Recommended.' – Choice

'One of the many benefits of owning the two-volume New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, is that you can dip in just about anywhere and enjoy the exuberant, endless display of human inventiveness with language.' – BOOKFORUM