The perfect stocking filler for anyone who imagines themselves flying a spitfire . . . Drop your visiting cards, put aside your beer-lever, stop being a half-pint hero and discover the gloriously funny slang which was part of everyday life in two world wars. Passion-killers: Airwomen's service knickers, whether twilights (the lighter, summer-weight variety) or black-outs (the navy-blue winter-weights). A wise directive has purposely made them as unromantic in colour and in design as a wise directive could imagine. Thanks to the work of Eric Partridge in 1945, the hilarious slang of the Royal Air Force during the first two World Wars has been preserved for generations to come. While some phrases like 'chocks away!' have lasted to this day, others deserve to be rediscovered . . . Beer-lever: From pub-bars, meaning the 'Joystick' of an aircraft. Canteen cowboy: A ladies' man. Half-pint hero: A boaster. One who exemplifies the virtue of Dutch courage without having the trouble of going into action. Tin fish: A torpedo. Umbrella man: A parachutist. Visiting-card: A bomb. Wheels down: Get ready - especially to leave a bus, tram, train. From lowering the wheels, preparatory to landing. Whistled: In a state of intoxication wherein one tends to whistle cheerfully and perhaps discordantly. The Dictionary of RAF Slang is a funny and fascinating insight into the lives of our RAF heroes, in a time gone by.

Authoritative and up to date, the Concise Oxford English Dictionary offers unsurpassed coverage of English, perfect for anyone who needs a handy, reliable resource for home, school, or office.
The Concise Oxford English Dictionary is one of the most popular choices in Oxford's renowned dictionary line. Now in print through its various editions for a century it has been selected by decades of users for its up-to-date and authoritative coverage of the English language.
This centenary edition of the Concise Oxford English Dictionary presents the most accurate picture of English today. It contains over 240,000 words, phrases, and definitions, providing superb coverage of contemporary English, including rare, historical, and archaic terms, scientific and technical vocabulary, and English from around the world. The dictionary has been updated with hundreds of new words--including sub-prime, social networking, and carbon footprint--all based on the latest research from the Oxford English Corpus. In addition, the dictionary features an engaging new center section, with quick-reference word lists (containing, for example, lists of Fascinating Words and Onomatopoeic Words), and a revised and updated English Uncovered supplement, which examines interesting facts about the English language. Sprinkled throughout the text are intriguing Word Histories, detailing the origins and development of numerous words. The volume also retains such popular features as the hundreds of usage notes which give advice on tricky vocabulary and pointers to help you improve your use of English. Finally, the dictionary contains full appendices on topics such as alphabets, currencies, electronic English, and the registers of language (from formal to slang), plus a useful Guide to Good English with advice on grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
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What helps women quit smoking is different from what works for men. Women's bodies react to nicotine differently, their withdrawal symptoms are more severe, and when they stop they gain weight more easily than men do. Part One of this guide helps women choose the best time and method to quit. Part Two gives guidelines for managing withdrawal and weight gain, finding peer support, and controlling stress and the urge to have just one more cigarette.

For over two centuries, political parties have competed in encouraging, organizing, and directing political activity in the United States. This volume compiles the key concepts, terms, labels, and individuals central to identifying and comprehending these key roles political parties have played in American political life. The dictionary contains brief biographies of party leaders: major party presidential tickets; noteworthy minor party presidential nominees; congressional party leaders, including Speakers of the House of Representatives presidents pro tempore of the Senate, and floor leaders for both the majority and minority parties in each chamber; and chairs of the national party committees of the Democratic and Republican Parties. In addition to party leaders it also address the institutional offices they occupy and represent. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of United States Political Parties contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on concepts, terms, labels, and individuals central to identifying and comprehending the key roles political parties have played in American political life. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about United States Political Parties.

This is a facsimile of the 1817 fourth edition of Hannah Adams's pioneering harbinger of the scholarly study of religion. The book surveys the diversity of religion, mostly of historical and contemporary Christian sects and movements but with significant inclusions of Jewish, Muslim, and "heathen" religious groups. Adams's particular contribution was the self-conscious effort to treat all religious groups on the same level and to avoid explicit or implicit judgments. She preferred to use self-descriptions where she had them. It is this non-normative approach that gives the book its historical value. Thomas Tweed's introduction discusses Adams's life and sets her and her book usefully in their context. He includes a helpful guide to the key entries.

Packed with more than 16,000 imaginative, colorful phrases--from "abandoned as a used Kleenex" to "quiet as an eel swimming in oil"--this reference will help any politician, writer, or lover of language find the perfect simile, be it original or banal, verbose or succinct. Citing more than 2,000 sources--from the Bible, Socrates, Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and H. L. Mencken to popular movies, music, and television shows--the "Similes Dictionary" covers hundreds of subjects broken into thematic categories that include topics such as virtue, anger, age, ambition, importance, and youth, helping readers find the fitting phrase quickly and easily. Perfect for setting the atmosphere, making a point, and or helping spin a tale with economy, intelligence, and ingenuity, the similes found in this collection, where pithy and poetic sayings are "as plentiful as blackberries" (Shakespeare) and quotes are "as useful as a Swiss army knife" (anonymous), will inspire anyone.

While our physical surroundings fashion our identities, we, in turn, fashion the natural elements in which or with which we live. This complex interaction between the human and the non-human already resonated in Shakespeare's plays and poems. As details of the early modern supra- and infra-celestial landscape feature in his works, this dictionary brings to the fore Shakespeare's responsiveness to and acute perception of his 'environment' and it covers the most significant uses of words related to this concept. In doing so, it also examines the epistemological changes that were taking place at the turn of the 17th century in a society which increasingly tried to master nature and its elements. For this reason, the intersections between the natural and the supernatural receive special emphasis. All in all, this dictionary offers a wide variety of resources that takes stock of the 'green criticism' that recently emerged in Shakespeare studies and provides a clear and complete overview of the idea, imagery and language of environment in the canon.

The Oxford Paperback Dictionary & Thesaurus is a great value-for-money product. It is the ultimate one-stop reference, containing both a dictionary and a thesaurus in one handy reference volume. The dictionary and thesaurus texts have an integrated design which has been tried and tested with users to speed up browsing and look-up. The dictionary has excellent coverage of everyday English, containing over 90,000 words, phrases and definitions and incorporating the newest words and phrases from Oxford's language research programmes. The thesaurus provides over 100,000 synonyms and antonyms. This handy dictionary and thesaurus is ideal for anyone who needs an affordable and portable, all-in-one reference work.

The fifth edition of the Collins COBUILD Learner's Dictionary has been revised and updated to include detailed coverage of today's English in a clear, attractive format. Ideal for intermediate level learners of English, and with full-sentence definitions written in simple, natural English, this dictionary is easy to use and understand. Thousands of updated examples of real English, taken from the 4.5-billion-word Collins Corpus, show learners how the words are used in authentic contexts. This dictionary covers all the essential words, phrases, and idioms that students at this level need to learn and provides help with grammar and usage. Additional information on collocations and synonyms is provided throughout the dictionary to help learners improve their fluency and confidence in using English. Informative and relevant vocabulary panels show how words are used in a range of everyday contexts. In addition, this dictionary offers learners guidance on how to communicate effectively in English. The Language in Use supplement provides a wealth of invaluable information on how to write and speak English for different purposes using the appropriate language, style, and tone. Resources and activities to help learners make the most of the dictionary are available for free online at www.collins.co.uk/eltresources. The Collins COBUILD Learner's Dictionary provides invaluable guidance on the English language, and is the complete reference tool for learners of English.

The Dictionary of Hiberno-English is the leading reference book on Hiberno-English - the form of English commonly spoken in Ireland. It connects the spoken and the written language, and is a unique national dictionary that bears witness to Irish history, struggles and the creative identities found in Ireland. Reflecting the social, political, religious and financial changes of people's ever-evolving lives, it contains words and expressions not usually seen in a dictionary, such as 'kibosh', 'smithereens', 'Peggy's Leg', 'hames', 'yoke', 'blaa', 'banjax' and 'luban'. It is a celebration of an irrepressible gift for the creative, expressive and reckless manipulation of the English language! 'Fascinating' Ray D'Arcy

The contemporary music scene thus embodies a uniquely broad spectrum of activity, which has grown and changed down to the present hour. With new talents emerging and different technologies developing as we move further into the 21st century, no one can predict what paths music will take next. All we can be certain of is that the inspiration and originality that make music live will continue to bring awe, delight, fascination, and beauty to the people who listen to it. This book cover modernist and postmodern concert music worldwide from the years 1888 to 2018. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Classical Music contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on the most important composers, musicians, methods, styles, and media in modernist and postmodern classical music worldwide, from 1888 to 2018. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about modern and contemporary classical music.

Why are speakers of English always calling each other names? situations. It will also help them to understand what is implied when an English speaker uses a particular way of addressing someone. These topics are entirely neglected in most courses and textbooks, and there is no other reference work on the subject.
Anyone who is fascinated by words will also find much here of interest. A wealth of historical, sociological and etymological information is set out in a highly readable style. Some 2,000 entries arranged in alphabetical order shed new light on familiar terms of address and present many curiosities. The author gives examples from a wide range of literature, particularly twentieth century novels, and provides an illuminating commentary on them.

and by the Librarians and Staffs of the University and the Public Libraries at Southampton. Finally, we wish to thank Mrs H. G. Jerrard and Miss A. J. Tutte for typing the manuscript. Department of Physics H. G. JERRARD D. B. McNEILL University of Southampton 1963 Preface to the fifth ed ition Since the publication of the fourth edition in 1980 advances in technology have led to more precise values of the fundamental physical constants and a movement towards definitions of the fundamental units of mass, length and time based on atomic parameters. More precise definitions of some other units such as the candela have been approved by the international committees. These changes, together with the definitions of several new units have been included in this edition, the text of which has been revised and which now contains over 850 units and dimensionless numbers. The authors wish to thank all those who have helped in this latest compilation by suggestion and kindly criticism and Margaret Wainwright who has had the difficult and tedious task oftyping, retyping and copying the fragmented parts that arise from a text revision. At the time of going to press we believe this book to provide the most complete and up-to-date information of its kind available.

The International Dictionary of Psychotherapy is a systematized compendium of the numerous psychotherapies that have evolved over the past 30 years. With contributions from over 350 experts in the field, it highlights the diverse schools of psychotherapy, tracing their histories and traditions, while underlining their specific strengths in dealing with human behaviours, feelings and perceptions in the contemporary world. The book traces eight principal paradigms: psychodynamic, behavioural, existential-humanistic, body-expression, systemic-relational, cognitive, interactional-strategic and eclectic. It presents to the expert and non-expert reader an array of models that grew from a specific paradigm, sharing the same fundamental epistemology and therapeutic strategies. This is accomplished through a reader-friendly approach that presents clear definitions of the key constructs of each paradigm, and transversal concepts that are common to the diverse practices of psychotherapy. The International Dictionary of Psychotherapy provides a clear picture of the numerous types of psychotherapeutic treatments and their applications, while offering a close examination of the efficacy and evaluative methods developed as a result of numerous debates and research carried out within the psychotherapeutic community. It represents an essential resource for psychotherapeutic and psychoanalytic practitioners and students, regardless of background or creed.

This work offers assistance to those who already have good elementary Italian language skills and wish to expand their vocabulary with expressions used in the Italian media.It is directed towards the academically influenced reader as well as interested laypeople. Based on the style of an Italian daily newspaper, the themes presented cover a broad range of subjects from politics to business, justice, labor and social issues as well as cultural topics, the environment, traffic, and sports.

DIPLOMACY, n. The patriotic art of lying for one's country In 1881 Ambrose Bierce, journalist and former soldier for the Union army in the Civil War, began writing satirical definitions for the San Francisco Wasp, and then for William Randolph Hearst's San Francisco Examiner. Bierce was launched on a journalistic career that would see him liked and loathed in equal measure - and earn him the title of 'the wickedest man in San Francisco'. In his column, Bierce, a contemporary of Mark Twain, brought his biting black humour to bear on spoof definitions of everyday words, writing deliberate mistranslations of the vocabulary of the establishment, the Church and the politics of his day, and shining a sardonic light on hypocrisy and deception. These columns formed the beginnings of a dictionary, first published in 1906 as The Cynic's Word Book. Over 100 years later, Bierce's redefinitions still give us pause for thought - REPORTER, n. A writer who guesses his way to the truth and dispels it with a tempest of words; UN-AMERICAN, adj. Wicked, intolerable, heathenish; POLITICS, n. The conduct of public affairs for private advantage - making for a timely new edition of this irreverent and provocative satire.

How did a single genre of text have the power to standardise the English language across time and region, rival the Bible in notions of authority, and challenge our understanding of objectivity, prescription, and description? Since the first monolingual dictionary appeared in 1604, the genre has sparked evolution, innovation, devotion, plagiarism, and controversy. This comprehensive volume presents an overview of essential issues pertaining to dictionary style and content and a fresh narrative of the development of English dictionaries throughout the centuries. Essays on the regional and global nature of English lexicography (dictionary making) explore its power in standardising varieties of English and defining nations seeking independence from the British Empire: from Canada to the Caribbean. Leading scholars and lexicographers historically contextualise an array of dictionaries and pose urgent theoretical and methodological questions relating to their role as tools of standardisation, prestige, power, education, literacy, and national identity.