Among the gems are: Surface-coal: cow dung, widely used for fuel in Texas Bone-orchard: in the Southwest slang for a cemetery Chawswizzled: confounded in Nebraskan idiom. Book Synopsis Gleaned from antiquated dictionaries, dialect glossaries, studies of folklore, nautical lexicons, historical writings, letters, novels, and miscellaneous sources, Informal English offers a captivating treasure trove of linguistic oddities that will not only entertain but also shed light on Americas colloquial past. Whether the entries are unexpected twists on familiar-sounding expressions or based on curious old customs, this wide-ranging assortment of vernacular Americanisms will amaze and amuse even the most hard-boiled curmudgeon.Ībout the Author Jeffrey Kacirk is the author of Forgotten English, The Word Museum, and Altered English, as well as a daily calendar based on Forgotten English.About the Book Gleaned from dictionaries, dialect glossaries, etymological treatises, folklore, nautical lexicons, historical writings, notes, novels, and miscellaneous lexicography, Informal English offers a captivating, readable treasure trove of about 2,500 words.

Puncture lady: a southwestern expression for a woman who prefers to sit on the sidelines at a dance and gossip rather than dance, often puncturing someone's reputation.

Leather-ears: to Cape Cod inhabitants, a person of slow comprehension.

Chawswizzled: 'confounded' in Nebraskan idiom.

Bone-orchard: in the Southwest slang for a cemetery.

Surface-coal: cow dung, widely used for fuel in Texas.About the Book Gleaned from dictionaries, dialect glossaries, etymological treatises, folklore, nautical lexicons, historical writings, notes, novels, and miscellaneous lexicography, 'Informal English' offers a captivating, readable treasure trove of about 2,500 words.īook Synopsis Gleaned from antiquated dictionaries, dialect glossaries, studies of folklore, nautical lexicons, historical writings, letters, novels, and miscellaneous sources, Informal English offers a captivating treasure trove of linguistic oddities that will not only entertain but also shed light on America's colloquial past.

Forgotten English by Jeffrey Kacirk