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"Dickson, Paul, author"
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Authorisms : words wrought by writers
\"William Shakespeare's written vocabulary consisted of 17,245 words, including hundreds that were coined or popularized by him. Some of the words never went further than their appearance in his plays, but others--like bedazzled, hurry, critical, and anchovy--are essential parts of our standard vocabulary today. Many other famous and lesser-known writers have contributed to the popular lexicon. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Sir Walter Scott ranks second to Shakespeare in first uses of words and giving a new and distinct meaning to already existing words (Free Lances for freelancers). John Milton minted such terms as earthshaking, lovelorn, by hook or crook, and all Hell broke loose, and was responsible for introducing some 630 words. Gifted lexicographer Paul Dickson deftly sorts through neologisms by Chaucer (a ha), Jane Austen (base ball), Louisa May Alcott (co-ed), Mark Twain (hard-boiled), Kurt Vonnegut (granfalloon), John le Carre (mole), William Gibson (cyberspace), and many others. Presenting stories behind each word and phrase, Dickson enriches our appreciation of the English language in a book as entertaining as it is enlightening\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
A dictionary of the space age
2009 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice
The launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 ushered in an exciting era of scientific and technological advancement. As television news anchors, radio hosts, and journalists reported the happenings of the American and the Soviet space programs to millions of captivated citizens, words that belonged to the worlds of science, aviation, and science fiction suddenly became part of the colloquial language. What's more, NASA used a litany of acronyms in much of its official correspondence in an effort to transmit as much information in as little time as possible. To translate this peculiar vocabulary, Paul Dickson has compiled the curious lingo and mystifying acronyms of NASA in an accessible dictionary of the names, words, and phrases of the Space Age.
Aviators, fighter pilots, and test pilots coined the phrases \"spam in a can\" (how astronauts felt prelaunch as they sat in a tiny capsule atop a rocket booster); \"tickety-boo\" (things are fine), and \"the Eagle has landed\" (Neil Armstrong's famous quote when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon).
This dictionary captures a broader foundation for language of the Space Age based on the historic principles employed by the Oxford English Dictionary and Webster's New Third International Dictionary. Word histories for major terms are detailed in a conversational tone, and technical terms are deciphered for the interested student and lay reader.
This is a must-own reference for space history buffs.
eBook
The Hidden Language of Baseball
Baseball is set apart from other sports by many things, but few are more distinctive than the intricate systems of coded language that govern action on the field and give baseball its unique appeal. During a nine‑inning game, more than one thousand silent instructions are given-from catcher to pitcher, coach to batter, fielder to fielder, umpire to umpire-and without this speechless communication the game would simply not be the same. Baseball historian Paul Dickson examines the rich legacy of baseball's hidden language, offering fans everywhere a smorgasbord of history and anecdote. Baseball's tradition of signing grew out of the signal flags used by ships and hand signals used by soldiers during battle and were first used in games during the Civil War. The Hartford Dark Blues appear to be the first team to steal signs, introducing a larcenous obsession that, as Dickson delightfully chronicles, has given the game some of its most historic-and outlandish-moments. In this revised and expanded edition through the 2018 season, Dickson discusses recent developments and incidents, including the illegal use of new technology to swipe signs. A roster of baseball's greatest names and games, past and present, echoes throughout, makingThe Hidden Language of Baseball a unique window on the history of our national pastime.
eBook
The Medico-Legal Back: An Illustrated Guide
Back pain and back injury is an extremely common problem, producing chronic, debilitating symptoms for sufferers, and resulting in millions of pounds of lost revenue in absence from work and paid in compensation for spinal injuries. Originally published in 2004, The Medico-Legal Back addresses the problem for a legal readership, in a clear, concise and reader-friendly style. It does away with the need to search for and then extract complex information from many different sources, and as such will be an indispensable guide to the problem for all lawyers, judges and medico-legal experts, as well as being of value to the orthopaedic surgeon with an interest in the spine. Of particular value is the use throughout the book of analogies drawn on anatomical technicalities and common movements, situations and incidents of everyday life.
eBook