Slangalicious: Where We Got that Crazy Lingo

Dig the skinny on the whole slang thang.

When a school assignment on slang leads to internet research, an astonishing thing happens. Two peculiar characters begin walking across the screen to help out with the homework problem. Meet Lexie and Edmund, the slang experts.

These wise guys begin with a rundown of the types of slang, and a look-see at how slang goes way back. In fact, many slang words once seen as coarse and low class are now an official part of our language.

In the chapters that follow, Lexie and Edmund explore slang terms under different categories, including food (Care for moo juice in your cup of joe?), sports (Who's the bush league southpaw in the bull pen?), and popular culture (Dig that wimp on the boob tube!). They even demonstrate how slang spills over from one meaning to another: take the term double-header. Originally coined by railroad workers to refer to a train pulled by two engines, today it's slang for back-to-back baseball games. Other slang like cool and hip originate in the musical stylings of jazz and bebop.

In all, Lexie and Edmund explore over 500 slang words and phrases. With playful writing and funky illustrations, Slangalicious is a lingo tango that brings language to life.