17th and 18th centuries Slang dictionaries have been around for hundreds of years. ''The Canting Academy, or Devil's Cabinet Opened'' was a 17th-century slang dictionary, written in 1673 by
Richard Head, that looked to define
thieves' cant.
A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew, was first published .
A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, by
Francis Grose was first published in 1785. Grose's work was arguably the most significant English-language slang dictionary until
John Camden Hotten's 1859
A Dictionary of Modern Slang, Cant, and Vulgar Words.
Modern times In recent years, dictionaries with a more academic focus have tried to bring together etymological studies in an attempt to provide definitive guides to slang while avoiding problems arising from
folk etymology and
false etymology. The study of slang is now taken seriously by academics, especially
lexicographers like the late
Eric Partridge, devoting their energies to the field and publishing on it, including producing slang dictionaries.
Examples • ''
Green's Dictionary of Slang'' (by
Jonathon Green, Chambers, ), 2010 comprising three volumes: A–E; F–O; P–Z •
Chambers Slang Dictionary (by
Jonathon Green,
Chambers Harrap Publishers, ), 2008 previously
Cassell Dictionary of Slang (
Cassell Reference, 1998; last edition 2006, ) •
Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (by
Eric Partridge and Paul Beale,
Routledge, 2002, ) •
The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang (by John Ayto and
John Simpson,
Oxford University Press, 2005, )
Vulgar slang There have also been a subsequent amount of
tongue-in-cheek efforts which tend to focus on the more vulgar slang terms: • ''
Roger's Profanisaurus Rex: The Ultimate Swearing Dictionary
(third edition, Viz'', 2005, ) •
Slang Defined (by Aaron Peckham,
Andrews McMeel, 2006, ) •
Urban Dictionary (By Aaron Peckham), 1999 == See also ==