Table of Contents

1. American Spoken Here—English Understood
2. Proverbs, Slogans, and Aphorisms
3. Popular American Expressions
4. Proverbial Commentaries
5. Similes and Metaphors Indicating Extremes
6. A Pronounced Difference
7. American Slang and Colloquialisms
Animal Kingdom
Arts and Entertainment
Business and Industry
Food, Drink, Cooking, and Culinary Arts
Games and Sports
Human Body, The
Legal, Law Enforcement, and Crime
Medicine
Military
Senses and Feelings
Transportation
8. Oddball American English Words
9. British vs. American English (and Vice Versa)
British vs. American English
Automotive, Aircraft, and Transportation
American vs. British English
10. Worldwide English
Australian and New Zealand English
Indian English
Irish English
Scottish English
South African English
11. Foreign Words and Phrases Frequently Used in English
Latin
French
German
Italian
Japanese
Spanish
Yiddish
12. Common American Legal Terms
13. Common American Medical Terms
14. Business Colloquialisms, Slang, and Acronyms
15. Neologisms
16. Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Initialisms
Acronyms, General
Abbreviations and Initialisms
Clothing Sizes and Colors
Streets and Roads
Times and Dates
Medical, Science, and Math
Radio and Television
Weights and Measures
Degrees and Titles
Geography
Businesses and Organizations
Commerce and Education
Grammar, Literature, and Writing
General Use
17. Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Initialisms in the Computer, Internet, and Communications Industries
18. From Where Do You Hail?
19. For the Symbol Minded
20. Currencies of the World
21. International Measurements
22. Baby Talk
23. The Birds and the Trees
Animal Kingdom Terminology
Flowers
Birds
Fish
Trees
24. The Colorful American Language
25. Color Commentaries
26. Language and Laughter

About the Author

Marv Rubinstein is a nonagenarian who has worked in many professional fields. Among other things, he served as an adjunct professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, teaching a course called “Quixotic English” to translation and interpretation students. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Japan Times, the Village Voice, and many other publications. He lives in New York.

Reviews

Rubinstein has assembled a friendly, accessible guide to the nuances, specialized terms, and other 'nooks and crannies' that make American English the vibrant, supple, quirky language it is today. Originally geared to translators, this compendium's audience has broadened over time; it can be used equally efficiently by international students and anyone seeking greater fluency. Since the last edition and the second, both titled 21st Century American English Compendium, the contents have been updated to include new vocabulary, with the acknowledgment that slang can quickly fall out of favor. The volume's organization is somewhat idiosyncratic, with separate chapters for popular expressions, proverbs, similes and metaphors, colloquialisms by category (animals, sports, food and drink, and the like), currencies, and common words and phrases from medicine, law, and business. Of particular usefulness is the coverage of British-American terminology differences and words from foreign languages appearing in English. . . .[I]t provides a wealth of up-to-date material on American-flavored English in a handy format. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above; general readers.
*Choice Reviews*

Intended for translators, interpreters, writers, editors, and advanced students of language who are looking for explanations of American words, phrases, proverbs, expressions, and jargon, Rubinstein’s (emeritus, English; Monterey Inst. of International Studies; 21st Century American English Compendium) resource fills the gap between the emergence of new words and their inclusion in standard dictionaries. This updated edition includes current Americanisms with explanations based upon cultural differences or 'knowledge of the historical, literary, and cultural background of Western civilization.' The chapters on proverbs and popular American expressions contain similar, identical, and contradictory proverbs and expressions, including foreign-language words and phrases (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Norwegian, Russian, Spanish, and Yiddish) commonly appearing in American English. Entries also indicate whether a literal translation is acceptable. Slang and colloquialisms are organized by topic. Other chapters cover odd words (e.g., 'B4' for 'before'), retronyms, contronyms, neologisms, measurements, abbreviations (e.g., 'tnx' for thanks), acronyms, colors, currencies, and tech-related words. The index will include key words for proverbs, expressions, similes, and slang. . . .[T]he strength of this book is that it offers a guide to the most common, current, technical, idiosyncratic American proverbs, slang, and colloquialisms in a single, portable volume. Summing Up: More than a standard reference title, this work provides a fascinating look at the American English language and will also do well in circulating collections.
*Library Journal*

Useful and entertaining, this paperback provides a contrast and complement to more substantial reference books on American English like H.L. Mencken's American Language (4th ed., 1984) and Sidney I. Landau'a Cambridge Dictionary of American English (1999). Its arrangement is eclectic; the first chapter ('American Spoken Here–English Understood') devotes a considerable number of pages to comparisons of British and American synonyms. There are interesting chapters on colloquialisms–Australian, Indian, Irish, and South Africa–and special vocabularies in theater, sports, medicine, commerce, and education all with examples alphabetically arranged. This edition boasts new sections on colors and baby talk. Although it would be a useful addition to college or university libraries, this book is priced within reach of private collections, for which it is particularly recommended.
*Choice Reviews*

American English Compendium is a ‘student friendly’ collection of the many intricacies of the English language and the variable differences of American English from its British counterpart. A significant and informative reference for studying the English language, American English Compendium provides readers with an understanding and history of quotes, common proverbs, slogans, aphorisms, colloquialisms, medical terms, acronyms, abbreviations and much more. American English Compendium is very strongly recommended to all students of the English language, speakers both native and foreign to its vernacular.
*Midwest Book Review*