Richard Lederer English Phile
A Guide to Teenspeak
Slang is uber, wooka, hecka, hella, slammin', filthy, tight, hype, dope, krunk, coo, phatty, mad, bad, sick, ill, word, and dank.
Fairly Familiar Phrases
On the cover of the March 29 Time magazine appeared a boxed item referring to the verdict against Martha Stewart. In the box was a photograph of the corporate goddess and, in bold white letters, the caption JUST DESERTS FOR MARTHA?
English Is Everywhere
It has recently come to light that mothers in South Korea have been going to great lengths to give their children not just a leg up, but a tongue up on speaking English. Not only do these ambitious parents play their children English nursery rhymes in the womb, hire pricey tutors for their toddlers and send their preschoolers to America to pick up the accent.
He Who Laughs Lasts
An Apache myth tells us that the Creator made man able to walk and talk, to see and hear -- to do everything. But the Creator wasn't satisfied. Finally he made man laugh, and when man laughed and laughed, the Creator said, "Now you are fit to live."
The Greatest Dictionary
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the greatest monument ever erected to the English language. In 1857, the idea of a comprehensive "dictionary of historical principles" was first presented. On June 1, 1928, the first two complete 12-volume sets were formally presented-one to King George V and one to President Calvin Coolidge.