The City in Slang: New York Life and Popular Speech

Rating:
Summary: 23 Skiddoo!
Review: Dere has been a lot written about the Noo Yawk accent, but Professon Irving Allen's "The City in Slang: New York Life and Popular Speech" is one of the first that I know to tackle the individual phrases and words that emerged from Gotham.

Naturally, a combination of factors contributed to the genesis of slang in New York, a slang which would spread across the nation. First, because New York has always been such a dynamic city, constantly in change, constantly experimenting, new ideas have always occurred here first and faster. Logically, New Yorkers would create the informal vocabulary accompanying these innovations. Second, because the city was so welcoming of immigrants, the words they brought over, and the words that reflected their cultures, were the natural offspring. Professor Allen touches upon these and other factors but I don't want you to think the book is as dry as I'm making it sound. To the native New Yorker or to anyone outside, "The City in Slang: New York Life and Popular Speech" is a light-hearted, enjoyable catalog of all those terms and their unique (and sometimes surprising) origins. Why is a police van called a "paddy wagon"? Find out how the word "mooch" came about. Discover the real origin of the term "rubbernecker"--it's not what you think! This is a thoroughly witty and informative book--with several illustrations--that will have you thinking in slang before you know it!