Flexner, Stuart Berg

Provides a look at the variety of American English, discussing the origins and history of our words and the changing cultural conditions that produced them; divided into such topics as Americanisims, cyberspace, advertising, crime, food, and generation gap.

Contains a collection of disasters and dastardly deeds that have occurred from the big bang over 18 billion years ago to the millenium.

On t.p.: An illustrated history of words and phrases from our lively and splendid past.