A DICTIONARY OF CRICKETING TERMINOLOGY
| Author: | Foley, Keith | |
| Year: | 1998 | |
| Pages: | 452 | |
| ISBN: | 0-7734-8266-0 978-0-7734-8266-1 | |
| Price: | $279.95 + shipping | |
| (Click the PayPal button to buy) | ||
The idiom of cricket can seem incomprehensible to the uninitiated. This dictionary, containing some 3,530 headwords and sense divisions, seeks to present a comprehensive picture of the language of cricket in the hope that the arcane will be rendered accessible to the newcomer and that even those well-versed in cricket lore may find something of interest. Includes terms of art, informal and slang designations, clichés and metaphors used by players and commentators to describe what happens on the field of play. Entries are arranged in alphabetical order. Phrases are recorded under the headword thought likely to be turned to first and are cross-referenced from other significant words. 6,530 examples of usage are provided.
Reviews
“This is a captivating work of reference that manages to be both erudite and funny. The millions of addicts who tune in to a Test Match Special will be fascinated to discover the secrets of the language-within-a-language of cricket. The individual entries are explained with the lucidity of a born communicator, and the citations and cross-references are there for the scorers to pursue. The examples of usage are well deployed, with the emphasis on contemporary usage being leavened by some classics from the last century or so. . . . This particular reader was so bowled over that he will have to follow on with another reading.” – R. B. Cross
“He has produced a fascinating guide to cricket terminology which is bound to reach a wide public as well as interest a specialist one. His delightful and unusual dictionary is set out in a scientific way which will make it easy to consult; it is also based on sound lexicological principles.”
“In cricket, as in everyday life, the vocabulary of the day is constantly changing. The meaning of certain words to the ordinary person take on a totally different significance when used in cricketing parlance. . . . Well researched as to the original use of the terminology, Mr. Foley has produced a dippers’ delight.” – The Journal of the Cricket Society
“He has produced a fascinating guide to cricket terminology which is bound to reach a wide public as well as interest a specialist one. His delightful and unusual dictionary is set out in a scientific way which will make it easy to consult; it is also based on sound lexicological principles.”
“In cricket, as in everyday life, the vocabulary of the day is constantly changing. The meaning of certain words to the ordinary person take on a totally different significance when used in cricketing parlance. . . . Well researched as to the original use of the terminology, Mr. Foley has produced a dippers’ delight.” – The Journal of the Cricket Society