American English Compendium: A Portable Guide to the Idiosyncrasies, Subtleties, Technical Lingo, and Nooks and Crannies of American English

The American English Compendium is a fun way to explore the nuances of the English language—learn that a group of lions is called a pride; a group of whales, a pod; one of owls a parliament. Distinguish between a quack and a shyster. Learn that “tabling a motion” in a U.S. Court has an opposite meaning to the same term in England. This book picks up where other language dictionaries leave off: it includes common proverbs, a sampling of American English vs. British English, popular American expressions and slang, acronyms, and varied information on everything from wildlife to currency. In this new edition, the staples have been updated, and fresh chapters, including spelling, punctuation, and pronunciation; odd-ball English words, and even “youthspeak,” which addresses Twitterspeak and other online vernacular.