This fascinating compendium explains the most unusual, obscure, and curious words and expressions from vintage blues music. Utilizing both documentary evidence and invaluable interviews with a number of now-deceased musicians from the 1920s and '30s, blues scholar Stephen Calt unravels the nuances of more than twelve hundred idioms and proper or place names found on oft-overlooked 'race records' recorded between 1923 and 1949. From 'aggravatin' papa' to 'yas-yas-yas' and everything in between, this truly unique, racy, and compelling resource decodes a neglected speech for general readers and researchers alike, offering invaluable information about black language and American slang.

Table of Contents

Author's Note; Introduction; A Note on Language; Select Annotated Bibliography of Dictionary Sources; General Bibliography; Informants Cited in Text; Abbreviations and Symbols Used in Text; Dictionary Entries A-Z; Index

Prizes

An exhaustive, engrossing lexicon of blues idioms

Reviews

"A valuable, unique work. No other book explains as many new, often subtle aspects of the blues language that Stephen Calt has lived with for over forty years." Kip Lornell, author of The NPR Curious Listener's Guide To American Folk Music