American English Compendium

the long version

A fun way to explore the nuances of the English language -- learn that a group of lions is called a pride; A group of whales, a pod; one of owls a parliament. Distinguish between a quack and a shyster. Learn that "tabling a motion" in a U.S. Court has an opposite meaning to the same term in England. This book picks up where other language dictionaries leave off: it includes common proverbs, a sampling of American English vs. British English, popular American expressions and slang, acronyms, and varied information on everything from wildlife to currency. In this new edition, the staples have been updated, and fresh chapters, including spelling, punctuation, and pronunciation; odd-ball English words, and even "youthspeak," which deals with Twitterspeak and other online language. - Publisher.