A Thesaurus of English Dialect and Slang
England, Wales and the Channel Islands

An inventory of present-day English dialect, slang and colloquialisms drawn from a prestigious nationwide survey.

Jonnie Robinson (Author)

9781108473231, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 1 July 2021

550 pages
25 x 17.5 x 3.5 cm, 0.124 kg

'You would have to be 'mazed as a sheep' to attempt what Jonnie Robinson has achieved in the A Thesaurus of English Dialect and Slang. It lays out the lexical riches of the BBC Voices survey interviews in beautiful clarity, according to region, locality, and semantic themes, accompanied by revealing comments from the speakers interviewed and etymological context researched by the author. It is a major resource, meticulously realized, and a testament to the continuing vitality of regional British English.' Rob Penhallurick, Reader in English Language, Department of English, Swansea University

A thesaurus of present-day vernacular English from Berwick-upon-Tweed to the Channel Islands, this unique record of everyday English celebrates established regional dialects, emerging new varieties and colloquial forms young and old. Based on a prestigious nationwide survey, BBC Voices Recordings, it documents the linguistic landscape of England, Wales and the Channel Islands in the 21st century, and includes over 3000 separate entries, drawn from over 200 locations across the country. Each entry contains information about the term's origins, location and the social distribution of its users. With links to original sound files and cross-references to complementary dictionary sources, it is an authoritative reference work for academic linguists, but its accessible presentation also makes it suitable for creative audiences and non-specialist language enthusiasts seeking authentic, up-to-date information on British English dialect and slang, and for English language teachers and learners as an invaluable educational tool.

Preface: The Voices Project
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations and Transcription Conventions
Introduction
Part I. A Thesaurus of the BBC Voices Recordings in England, Wales and the Channel Islands: 1. How You Feel
2. What You Do
3. What You Wear
4. What You Call Them
5. Inside and Outside
6. Getting Personal
Part II. An Inventory of the BBC Voices Recordings Survey in England, Wales and the Channel Islands: A. North East
B. Yorkshire and Humber
C. North West
D. East Midlands
E. West Midlands
F. East Anglia
G. South West
H. South East
I. London
J. Wales
K. Channel Islands
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Lexicography [CFM], Semantics, discourse analysis, etc [CFG], Dialect, slang & jargon [CFFD]