When a school assignment on slang leads to internet research, an astonishing thing happens. Two peculiar characters begin walking across the screen to help out with the homework problem. Meet Lexie and Edmund, the slang experts.

These wise guys begin with a rundown of the types of slang and a look-see at how slang goes way back. In fact, many slang words once seen as coarse and low class are an official part of our language.

In the chapters that follow, Lexie and Edmund explore slang that originates from different categories, including food (Care for moo juice in your cup of joe?), sports (Who’s the bush-league southpaw in the bull pen?), and popular culture (Dig that wimp on the boob tube!). They even demonstrate how slang spills over from one meaning to another: take the term “double-header”: originally coined by railroad workers to refer to a train pulled by two engines, today it’s slang for back-to-back baseball games. Other slang like “cool” and “hip” originate in the musical stylings of jazz and bebop.

In all, Lexie and Edmund explore over 500 slang words and phrases. With playful writing and funky illustrations, Slangalicious is a lingo tango that brings language to life.

Gillian O'Reilly is a writer and editor from Toronto, ON. She and Cora Lee also co-authored The Great Motion Mission: A Surprising Story of Physics in Everyday Life. She lives in Toronto, ON, Canada.

Gillian O'Reilly's profile page

Krista Johnson's profile page

“Five stars and two thumbs up for this book!”—Hi Rise

“... cool, fab and rad ... a fun fact book ...”—Toronto Star

“This upbeat introduction to slang avoids the mind-numbing sameness of listed words ... The combination of story, sidebars, good page design, and expressive artwork will help keep readers engaged ... appealing ...” —Booklist

“... vast amounts of information about slang and its origins in a painless, edifying and often amusing way.” —Globe and Mail

“This fun, colorful introduction to the origins of slang will have readers hooked on language play. This highly recommended book is the bee’s knees! —CM Reviews

“This is a clever way for younger students to learn about the topic. While older students may find the approach too cute for their tastes, they will still find an abundance of information here.”—School Library Journal