The City in Slang

Irving Lewis Allen provides an insightful history of the rise of New York as a metropolis and the accompanying slang that surrounded it. Anecdotal and at times analytical, this book is both a lexicon of slang, and a history of recent casual language. From the Great White Way to skid row, the popular vocabulary that sprang up and gained prominence in New York City is a colorful record of the way people lived with the constantly changing conditions of city life. This fascinating work provides a vivd social and cultural history of America's premier city as reflected in the slang it generated for a national audience. Seen in the context of their urban origins, popular terms such as smart Aleck, rubbernecker, urban jungle, soda jerk, and one-arm joint paint a fascinating portrait of New York's people, places, and style. Many of the terms spread across the U.S., shaping the way Americans conceive of "the City" and other cities across the country. This rough and tumble tour of the back alleys of New York speech provides an intriguing view of the ways in which metropolitan life was conceived in the minds of millions of ordinary city dwellers.