American English Compendium

The American English Compendium is 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; and a group of owls, a parliament. This edition offers fresh chapters which include spelling, punctuation, and pronunciation; and even Twitterspeak and other online vernacular.

Marv Rubinstein is a nonagenarian who has worked in many professional fields. Among other things, he served as an adjunct professor at the Monterey Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California, teaching a course called "Quixotic English" to translation and interpretation students. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Japan Times, the Village Voice, and many other publications. He lives in New York.

1. American Spoken Here-English Understood 2. Proverbs, Slogans, and Aphorisms 3. Popular American Expressions 4. Proverbial Commentaries 5. Similes and Metaphors Indicating Extremes 6. A Pronounced Difference 7. American Slang and Colloquialisms Animal Kingdom Arts and Entertainment Business and Industry Food, Drink, Cooking, and Culinary Arts Games and Sports Human Body, The Legal, Law Enforcement, and Crime Medicine Military Senses and Feelings Transportation 8. Oddball American English Words 9. British vs. American English (and Vice Versa) British vs. American English Automotive, Aircraft, and Transportation American vs. British English 10. Worldwide English Australian and New Zealand English Indian English Irish English Scottish English South African English 11. Foreign Words and Phrases Frequently Used in English Latin French German Italian Japanese Spanish Yiddish 12. Common American Legal Terms 13. Common American Medical Terms 14. Business Colloquialisms, Slang, and Acronyms 15. Neologisms 16. Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Initialisms Acronyms, General Abbreviations and Initialisms Clothing Sizes and Colors Streets and Roads Times and Dates Medical, Science, and Math Radio and Television Weights and Measures Degrees and Titles Geography Businesses and Organizations Commerce and Education Grammar, Literature, and Writing General Use 17. Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Initialisms in the Computer, Internet, and Communications Industries 18. From Where Do You Hail? 19. For the Symbol Minded 20. Currencies of the World 21. International Measurements 22. Baby Talk 23. The Birds and the Trees Animal Kingdom Terminology Flowers Birds Fish Trees 24. The Colorful American Language 25. Color Commentaries 26. Language and Laughter