The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon
- ISBN-10
- 0756782104
- ISBN-13
- 9780756782108
- Category
- Language Arts & Disciplines
- Pages
- 162
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1997-07-30
- Author
- Karen Elizabeth Gordon
Description
What on earth does lagniappe mean? You will find this Creole French word delectably defined & dramatized here, which takes a voluptuary's approach to language. Lexiphile Gordon's signature cache of illustrations & flamboyantly gothic examples take you on a hedonist's tour of the alphabet, where you can check into the Last Judgment Pinball Machine Motel, rustle habitu}s at the Pink Antlers Saloon, or plunge into scenes from such literary works as Torpor in the Swing, The Wretch of Lugubria, & Gossamer & the Green Light. Laced with erudite insights & eccentric wit, this dictionary is about the music of speech & the sound & sensuality of language, celebrating not only the obscure but also our most beloved & basic words.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2003
- 162 pages
- Paperback
- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
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