Secret Language

Codes, Tricks, Spies, Thieves, and Symbols

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Linguistics
Cover of the book Secret Language by Barry J. Blake, OUP Oxford
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Barry J. Blake ISBN: 9780191614712
Publisher: OUP Oxford Publication: March 25, 2010
Imprint: OUP Oxford Language: English
Author: Barry J. Blake
ISBN: 9780191614712
Publisher: OUP Oxford
Publication: March 25, 2010
Imprint: OUP Oxford
Language: English

This book is about language that is designed to mean what it does not seem to mean. Ciphers and codes conceal messages and protect secrets. Symbol and magic hide meanings to delight or imperil. Languages made to baffle and confuse let insiders talk openly without being understood by those beyond the circle. Barry Blake looks at these and many more. He explores the history and uses of the slangs and argots of schools and trades. He traces the centuries-old cants used by sailors and criminals in Britain, among them Polari, the mix of Italian, Yiddish, and slang once spoken among strolling players and circus folk and taken up by gays in the twentieth century. He examines the sacred languages of ancient cults and religions, uncovers the workings of onomancy, spells, and gematria, looks into the obliqueness of allusion and parody, and celebrates the absurdities of euphemism and jargon. Secret Language takes the reader on fascinating excursions down obscure byways of language, ranging across time and culture. With revelations on every page it will entertain anyone with an urge to know more about the most arcane and curious uses of language.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

This book is about language that is designed to mean what it does not seem to mean. Ciphers and codes conceal messages and protect secrets. Symbol and magic hide meanings to delight or imperil. Languages made to baffle and confuse let insiders talk openly without being understood by those beyond the circle. Barry Blake looks at these and many more. He explores the history and uses of the slangs and argots of schools and trades. He traces the centuries-old cants used by sailors and criminals in Britain, among them Polari, the mix of Italian, Yiddish, and slang once spoken among strolling players and circus folk and taken up by gays in the twentieth century. He examines the sacred languages of ancient cults and religions, uncovers the workings of onomancy, spells, and gematria, looks into the obliqueness of allusion and parody, and celebrates the absurdities of euphemism and jargon. Secret Language takes the reader on fascinating excursions down obscure byways of language, ranging across time and culture. With revelations on every page it will entertain anyone with an urge to know more about the most arcane and curious uses of language.

More books from OUP Oxford

Cover of the book The Rio Declaration on Environment and Development by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book French Philosophy, 1572-1675 by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Oxford Handbook of Happiness by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book The Rome We Have Lost by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Fallibilism: Evidence and Knowledge by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Blackstone's Police Operational Handbook 2019: Law by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Poetics by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Rebel Barons by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book The Europeanization of Intellectual Property Law by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book The Oxford Handbook of Tudor Drama by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Partisanship and Political Liberalism in Diverse Societies by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book The Production of Knowledge by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Hart's Postscript by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Fascism: A Very Short Introduction by Barry J. Blake
Cover of the book Faust: Part Two by Barry J. Blake
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy