Cheerio Tom, Dick and Harry: Despatches from the hospice of fading words

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Part Title -- Title Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Acknowledgements -- 1. The hospice -- PART I: AS THE PACE QUICKENS -- 2. Cheerio -- 3. Peopled phrases -- 4. Darn -- 5. Tinker -- 6. Hobby -- 7. Steady -- PART II: OLD WAYS, OLD LANGUAGE -- 8. Jalopy -- 9. Handkerchief -- 10. Hats -- 11. Mercers -- 12. Nongs and yobbos -- PART III: QUAINTERIES ESCHEWED -- 13. Waxing lyrical -- 14. Fixed rejoiners -- 15. Doubling up -- 16. As Easy as -- 17. Useful tits -- 18. Cockney code -- 19. Odds and sods -- PART IV: VICTIMS OF MODERN CANDOUR -- 20. Nudge nudge -- 21. The fall -- 22. Oblique.;'Wajnryb is the grammarian you always wanted: wise, wearing her erudition lightly and enlivening it with sly humour.' Kirkus Reviews Ruth Wajnryb embarks on a voyage of discovery among the words that once peppered the language of baby boomers and their parents to discover why they seem to be slipping from common use. Why is it that people don't say 'cheerio' any more, and, come to think of it, why did they in the first place? Do people still tinker with jalopies? And whatever happened to Tom, Dick and Harry, not to mention all those other folk who provided us with such excellent conversat.