Barrelhouse Words: A Blues Dialect Dictionary

Description

Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Author's Note -- CONTENTS -- Introduction -- Select Annotated Bibliography of Dictionary Sources -- General Bibliography -- Informants Cited in Text -- Abbreviations and Symbols Used in Text -- A BLUES DIALECT DICTIONARY -- Appendix -- Index;This fascinating compendium explains the most unusual, obscure, and curious words and expressions from vintage blues music. Utilizing both documentary evidence and invaluable interviews with a number of now-deceased musicians from the 1920s and '30s, blues scholar Stephen Calt unravels the nuances of more than twelve hundred idioms and proper or place names found on oft-overlooked "race records" recorded between 1923 and 1949. From "aggravatin' papa" to "yas-yas-yas" and everything in between, this truly unique, racy, and compelling resource decodes a neglected speech for general readers and researchers alike, offering invaluable information about black language and American slang. Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Author's Note -- CONTENTS -- Introduction -- Select Annotated Bibliography of Dictionary Sources -- General Bibliography -- Informants Cited in Text -- Abbreviations and Symbols Used in Text -- A BLUES DIALECT DICTIONARY -- Appendix -- Index