
A parent might reach for this book when their teen expresses curiosity about the past, particularly how people talked in old movies or books. This unique book is not a story, but a glossary of American slang from the early twentieth century, with a special focus on the 1920s. It provides a fascinating window into the culture, attitudes, and daily life of the era. By exploring how language evolves, it opens conversations about history, social justice, and the power of words. Due to its inclusion of historically accurate but now offensive terms (including slurs and references to adult themes), this book is best suited for mature teens and requires parental guidance and discussion.
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Sign in to write a reviewContains slang related to criminal activities, firearms, and prison life.
The book's approach is direct and academic. It presents potentially offensive material (ethnic and sexist slurs, references to crime, sexuality, and substance use) as historical artifacts of language. There is no narrative resolution; the purpose is informational and historical. It is a secular, linguistic text meant to document rather than moralize, leaving interpretation and discussion to the reader.
A teen aged 14 to 18 who is a history enthusiast, a writer interested in authentic dialogue, or a budding linguist fascinated by how language changes. This is for the curious adolescent who enjoys nonfiction and is ready to critically examine the past through its everyday language.
Parents must preview this book. Its value is directly tied to the conversations it can start, but it should not be handed to a child without context. A parent should be prepared to discuss the historical reality of racism, sexism, and crime that the slang reflects. The sections containing slurs and derogatory terms in particular need to be framed with a discussion about historical context and social harm. A parent has a teen who is watching historical films or reading classic literature and asks, "What does that word mean?" Or, a parent is looking for a resource to have a structured conversation about the history of offensive language and why some words are no longer acceptable.
A younger teen (12-14) will likely gravitate toward the novel, 'fun' slang ('giggle water', 'bee's knees') and will need significant parental guidance to process the offensive content. An older teen (15-18) is better equipped to analyze the language as a primary source, understanding the social and historical implications of the words and connecting them to broader themes of cultural change.
Unlike narrative historical fiction, this book is a direct reference tool. Its unique power lies in presenting the unvarnished language of an era, including its most unsavory elements. This offers a raw, unfiltered look into the period's cultural mindset, making it a more potent and challenging educational tool than a story set in the same time.
This book is a nonfiction reference text. It serves as an alphabetical glossary of American slang used between the 1900s and 1930s, with a heavy emphasis on the 1920s. The entries provide definitions for colloquial expressions from the period, covering topics such as bootlegging, crime, drug use, filmmaking, and sports. The text explicitly notes that it contains terms, including ethnic slurs and descriptions of women, that are considered offensive in a modern context.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.