History of Modern Colloquial English, published in 1920, included a half-page discussion about a slang term without ever mentioning it. The word? Bloody, a term considered so taboo at that time that it couldn't even be mentioned in a book on lexicography. More than 80 years later, one can barely escape hearing more-graphic taboo terms on cable television and in the movies or reading them in highbrow publications such as the New Yorker. Hughes, a South African English professor, has compiled a fascinating reference work on the history, sociology, and literary uses of foul language and profanity. Alphabetically arranged by topic, the work covers, in addition to terms themselves, a wide range of subjects and individuals: Ethnic insults; Hollywood; Medieval period; Political correctness; and Twain, Mark--to name only a few. The index provides access to words that are not entry headings. Engagingly written and diligently researched, the entries provide helpful information to both lay readers and scholars and include useful bibliographies. The work also offers superb ready-reference information on hard-to-find arcane information, for example, the first time a slang term for copulation was uttered on British television, major dictionaries that include or don't include profane terms, and the case name and citation number of the FCC decision about George Carlin's controversial Filthy Words broadcast in 1973. This work is highly recommended for academic and major public libraries. The steep price, however, may dissuade purchase by other libraries, especially if they already own the much more affordable (although now out-of-print) dictionary Wicked Words, by Hugh Rawson. --Donald Altschiller Copyright 2006 Booklist

Hughes (formerly, Univ. Witwatersrand, Johannesburg) takes a scholarly, reasonable, informative approach to a potentially offensive topic as he presents the origin, development, and usage of swearing terms and phrases, ranging from sacred and solemn oaths of commitment to the basest forms of slang. Hughes examines wide-ranging aspects, including the use and consideration of slang terms by esteemed authors from Shakespeare to Mark Twain, and the changes in use and definition of various terms (e.g., "punk"), including words that are not longer used (e.g., "knave"). Entries for such terms as "hate speech," "popular culture," and "political names" focus on societal and historical influences, as well as secular, sacred, and geographical aspects. Unlike such works as Dictionary of American Slang, ed. by R. L. Chapman (3rd ed., 1995), this examination has an international perspective. Each entry is followed by a brief bibliography, and a "select bibliography" of additional resources is located at the end, along with a chronology of significant events. Several black-and-white illustrations, most reproduced from original 18th- and 19th-century sources, enhance the material presented. Each entry presents a thoroughly well-written, well-researched, informative explanation of the overall development of a particularly significant portion of human language and culture. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels. M. Lawler Louisiana State University in Shreveport