What does "mirror-shades group" mean? (Is it a solar power array, a school of science fiction, a slang word for "corporate raiders"?) Who first coined the word "factoid"? When and where does the "triple witching hour" occur? On what kid's show was the cry "Cowabunga" first heard?
In The Oxford Dictionary of New Words, Sara Tulloch examines over two thousand new words and phrases that have become part of our daily lives in the last decade, in 750 articles that provide pronunciation, definition, etymology, informal history, and sample sentences. Drawing words from politics, the environmental movement, computers and technology, business, sports, entertainment, and many other areas, Tulloch goes beyond the usual informative but narrow dictionary entry to offer readers a rich history of the recent changes not only in our language but in our culture as well. Just skimming the headwords is like fast-forwarding through the eighties: bailout, cocooning, deniability, the disappeared, glasnost, lambada, safe sex, spin doctor, fun run, insider trading, genetic fingerprinting, thirtysomething, designer water, liposuction, Cablevision, gentrification, intifada, and DINK (Double Income, No Kids). And the histories that Tulloch provides are so interesting that even if you know the meaning of a word you will find the article fascinating.
Here then is a resource that is both useful and intriguing, the first place to turn when faced with such new words and phrases as "acyclovir," "magnetic resonance imaging," "Alar" or "computer footprint," as well as a browser's delight, a goldmine of language for word lovers everywhere.