McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions - 4th ed. - ultimate reference to nonstandard usage

Oct 17, 2026

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Authoritative reference work compiling nonstandard American slang, colloquial expressions, popular jargon, and vulgarisms with definitions and usage examples. Organized alphabetically for direct lookup without altering entry forms, supported by guidance on searching phrases, using the Index of Hidden Key Words, and consulting pronunciation symbols and abbreviations. Includes introductory explanation of what slang is, why dictionaries apply labels such as dialect or substandard, and how specialized group vocabularies can spread into broader popular usage.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages576

Reading Time14 h 47 min

AccessFree to download

How to Use This Dictionary

Dictionary lookup method and entry format

Examples, indices, and thematic reverse index

Introduction

What is Slang?

Labels for informal and substandard usage

Terms, Symbols, and Abbreviations

Pronunciation Guide

Dictionary

Index of Hidden Key Words

Thematic Index

McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions This page intentionally left blank McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Richard A. Spears, Ph.D. New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Spears, Richard A. [McGraw-Hill’s dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions] American slang dictionary / the ultimate reference to nonstandard usage, colloquialisms, popular jargon, and vulgarisms / Richard A. Spears — 4th ed. [p. cm](p. cm). Previously published: McGraw-Hill’s dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions, 4th hc ed., 2006. ISBN 0-07-146108-6 (pbk.) 1. English language—United States—Slang—Dictionaries. 2. Figures of speech—Dictionaries. 3. Americanisms—Dictionaries. I. Title. PE2846.S639 2007 427 􀀂 .973—dc22 2007061181 Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. A hardcover version of this book was published as McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions. 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 FGR/FGR FGR/FGR 0 0 9 9 8 (0-07-146108-6) 8 (0-07-146107-8) ISBN 978-0-07-146108-5 (American Slang Dictionary) MHID 0-07-146108-6 (American Slang Dictionary) ISBN 978-0-07-146107-8 (McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions, Fourth Edition) MHID 0-07-146107-8 (McGraw-Hill’s Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions, Fourth Edition) Interior design by Terry Stone McGraw-Hill books are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions or for use in corporate training programs. To contact a representative, please visit the Contact Us pages [at www.mhprofessional.com](at www.mhprofessional.com). This book is printed on acid-free paper. Contents How to Use This Dictionary vii Introduction ix Terms, Symbols, and Abbreviations xxv Pronunciation Guide xxviii Dictionary 1 Index of Hidden Key Words 415 Thematic Index 459 This page intentionally left blank How to Use This Dictionary • The dictionary is alphabetized word by word, rather than letter by letter. • The entry words or phrases are not altered from their normal state. That is, you will find have an ace up one’s sleeve, and not ace up one’s sleeve, have an. • When looking up a phrase, try to find it first in the body of the dictionary. If it is not found, look for a key word in the phrase in the Index of Hidden KeyWords. • Definitions of the terms and abbreviations used can be found on page xxiii. • A key to the International Phonetic Alphabet symbols used in the pronunciations can be found on page xxvi. • Each entry has at least one example sentence. Most of the examples show the entry word in a slang context. Some examples show the entry words in quotation marks, indicating that they are being used in a Standard English context. Both types are considered accurate portrayals of the use of individual slang terms. • When looking for a slang word with a particular meaning, use the Thematic Index. It serves as a reverse index for slang and colloquial expressions. • For a list of all the phrases containing a specific slang word, look up that word in the Index of Hidden KeyWords. • Because most racial matters in American slang relate to skin color, the vague terms black and white are used here. Only a very small number of terms relate to descendants of pre-Colombian native Americans, and the traditional term American Indian is used.

FAQs

How is the dictionary organized for finding slang terms?

Entries are alphabetized word by word rather than letter by letter. Phrase searches should be attempted in the main dictionary first, then via the Index of Hidden Key Words if not found.

What helps readers interpret pronunciation and shorthand used in the entries?

Definitions of terms and abbreviations are provided in an early section, and a key to International Phonetic Alphabet symbols used in pronunciations is included.

What does the dictionary explain about what slang is?

Slang is described as an umbrella label for many informal expressions not intended for edited writing in formal communication, and dictionaries use it to distinguish less formal vocabulary alongside other labels such as dialect, obsolete, substandard, vernacular, and vulgar.

Oct 17, 2026

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