From Library Journal
In 1947 Random House launched its first dictionary, the celebrated American College Dictionary. Today, half a century later, the publisher is recognized as one of the premier lexicographic houses in North America, noted for its careful attention to new vocabulary, both standard and nonstandard. Fittingly, Random House marks its 50th anniversary in the dictionary business with these two major publications, both of which will be familiar to librarians. Volume 2 (H-O) of the slang dictionary, which adds about 10,000 main entries to the corpus, maintains the impressive quality that distinguished Volume 1 (LJ 8/94). The final volume (Q-Z) is scheduled for publication in 2000. This is simply the best slang dictionary ever compiled, and all but the smallest public and academic libraries should have it. The College Dictionary, a descendant of the aforementioned American College Dictionary, first appeared under its current title six years ago (LJ 6/15/91). The new edition is a thorough update, offering first-rate coverage and treatment of American English as used in the mid-1990s. For instance, "chat room" is here, as is the latest connotation of "closure." It competes well with other dictionaries in its class, including Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (LJ 9/1/93) and the American Heritage College Dictionary (1993. 3d ed.). Essential for most collections.?Ken Kister, author of "Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
The New York Times, Michiko Kakutani
Once again, the dictionary's editor, J.E. Lighter, has done a prodigious research job, giving us both an irreverent glossary of our daily speech and an erudite index of our language's cultural evolution. This is a volume that draws, equally, from Shakespeare and Penthouse, Beckett and Butt-head, the Oxford English Dictionary and Melrose Place. Hunter S. Thompson, Dr. Seuss and Details magazine are cited for word usage, as are Leeza Gibbons, Larry King and the television cartoon character Dr. Katz.
