Home
Splendiferous Speech: How Early Americans Pioneered Their Own Brand of English
Barnes and Noble
Loading Inventory...
Splendiferous Speech: How Early Americans Pioneered Their Own Brand of English
Current price: $19.99
Barnes and Noble
Splendiferous Speech: How Early Americans Pioneered Their Own Brand of English
Current price: $19.99
Loading Inventory...
Size: Audiobook
*Product information may vary - to confirm product availability, pricing, shipping and return information please contact Barnes and Noble
What does it mean to talk like an American? According to John Russell Bartlett’s 1848
Dictionary of Americanisms,
it means indulging in outlandish slang—
splendiferous, scrumptious, higgeldy piggedly
—and free-and-easy word creation—
demoralize, lengthy, gerrymander.
American English is more than just vocabulary, though. It’s a picturesque way of talking that includes expressions like
go the whole hog
, and the wild boasts of frontiersman Davy Crockett, who claimed to be “half horse, half alligator, and a touch of the airthquake.”
Splendiferous Speech
explores the main sources of the American vernacular—the expanding western frontier, the bumptious world of politics, and the sensation-filled pages of popular nineteenth-century newspapers. It’s a process that started with the earliest English colonists (first word adoption—the Algonquian
raccoon
) and is still going strong today. Author Rosemarie Ostler takes readers along on the journey as Americans learn to declare linguistic independence and embrace their own brand of speech. For anyone who wonders how we got from the English of King James to the slang of the Internet, it’s an exhilarating ride.
Dictionary of Americanisms,
it means indulging in outlandish slang—
splendiferous, scrumptious, higgeldy piggedly
—and free-and-easy word creation—
demoralize, lengthy, gerrymander.
American English is more than just vocabulary, though. It’s a picturesque way of talking that includes expressions like
go the whole hog
, and the wild boasts of frontiersman Davy Crockett, who claimed to be “half horse, half alligator, and a touch of the airthquake.”
Splendiferous Speech
explores the main sources of the American vernacular—the expanding western frontier, the bumptious world of politics, and the sensation-filled pages of popular nineteenth-century newspapers. It’s a process that started with the earliest English colonists (first word adoption—the Algonquian
raccoon
) and is still going strong today. Author Rosemarie Ostler takes readers along on the journey as Americans learn to declare linguistic independence and embrace their own brand of speech. For anyone who wonders how we got from the English of King James to the slang of the Internet, it’s an exhilarating ride.
What does it mean to talk like an American? According to John Russell Bartlett’s 1848
Dictionary of Americanisms,
it means indulging in outlandish slang—
splendiferous, scrumptious, higgeldy piggedly
—and free-and-easy word creation—
demoralize, lengthy, gerrymander.
American English is more than just vocabulary, though. It’s a picturesque way of talking that includes expressions like
go the whole hog
, and the wild boasts of frontiersman Davy Crockett, who claimed to be “half horse, half alligator, and a touch of the airthquake.”
Splendiferous Speech
explores the main sources of the American vernacular—the expanding western frontier, the bumptious world of politics, and the sensation-filled pages of popular nineteenth-century newspapers. It’s a process that started with the earliest English colonists (first word adoption—the Algonquian
raccoon
) and is still going strong today. Author Rosemarie Ostler takes readers along on the journey as Americans learn to declare linguistic independence and embrace their own brand of speech. For anyone who wonders how we got from the English of King James to the slang of the Internet, it’s an exhilarating ride.
Dictionary of Americanisms,
it means indulging in outlandish slang—
splendiferous, scrumptious, higgeldy piggedly
—and free-and-easy word creation—
demoralize, lengthy, gerrymander.
American English is more than just vocabulary, though. It’s a picturesque way of talking that includes expressions like
go the whole hog
, and the wild boasts of frontiersman Davy Crockett, who claimed to be “half horse, half alligator, and a touch of the airthquake.”
Splendiferous Speech
explores the main sources of the American vernacular—the expanding western frontier, the bumptious world of politics, and the sensation-filled pages of popular nineteenth-century newspapers. It’s a process that started with the earliest English colonists (first word adoption—the Algonquian
raccoon
) and is still going strong today. Author Rosemarie Ostler takes readers along on the journey as Americans learn to declare linguistic independence and embrace their own brand of speech. For anyone who wonders how we got from the English of King James to the slang of the Internet, it’s an exhilarating ride.
You May Also Like
More About Barnes and Noble at The Summit
With an excellent depth of book selection, competitive discounting of bestsellers, and comfortable settings, Barnes & Noble is an excellent place to browse for your next book.
Store Info
Find Barnes and Noble at The Summit in Birmingham, AL
Visit Barnes and Noble at The Summit in Birmingham, AL