Summary

the language report is a collection of the most intriguing facts and observations on the English language in recent years, and particularly in 2006. In her eminently browsable exploration of the changing face of English, Susie Dent, Countdowns's dictionary expert, takes us on a journey through the most exotic and dynamic areas of the language. Favourite subjects such as the words of the moment, euphemisms, and slang are all re-visited, while new topics include contemporary music lyrics, food and drink, quotations, online language, and predictions for the future.The book is based on the ongoing research at Oxford Dictionaries, home of the Oxford English Dictionary and the largest language research programme in the world. Oxford collects and analyses literally hundreds of millions of words of real language and the latest findings are presented here, many of them for the first time. Compellingly informative and readable, the language report has something for everyone interested in the English language.