A dictionary of phrase and fable, covering the whole of the 20th century, and comprising over 8000 entries drawn from every arena of life, from war to sport, religion to business. The work is a guide to the gobbledygook of acronyms, nicknames, jargon and slang, and includes an account of the state of the language in 1996, containing definitions of words and phrases such as Aids terrorist, Mexican wave, karaoke and condom fatigue.