Mim Harrison •
Wicked Good Words •

Words, words, words, as our old pal Shakespeare would say. What sets this book apart from countless other slang dictionaries is that the entries are arranged according to the geographic regions where they’re prevalent. The distinctive terms and expressions you’ll find here cover only the United States, but that provides plenty of entertainment without getting into the myriad verbal tics of our friends across the pond.

It doesn’t take long to see that what you do, and how you do it, depends a great deal on where you hail from. You might begin your linguistic journey in Alaska by taking an iron dog to the toolies, where you can rig up a stack robber. In California, lay the dust with an Anchor Steam, or sink your Hollywood 8s into an It’s It.

If a friend comes with, the both of you can sit side by each on a davenport in the Midwest, the way folks there have been doing since Hector was a pup. Only in Maine are you likely to meet someone who’s numb as a hake. And by the time you reach New Orleans, you’ll be ready to fait do-do.

Feeling ferhoodled? Don’t let it give you the mulligrubs. If your favorite colloquialism doesn’t show up here, there’s a remedy: You can contact Harrison to propose entries for a future book. Personally, I’d like to see in print what every Yooper already knows: When you have a little too much to drink, you wind up getting snockered.