Synopses & Reviews
This reader-friendly volume contains more than 12,000 famous quotations, arranged alphabetically by author. It is unique in its focus on American quotations and its inclusion of items not only from literary and historical sources but also from popular culture, sports, computers, science, politics, law, and the social sciences. Anonymously authored items appear in sections devoted to folk songs, advertising slogans, television catchphrases, proverbs, and others.
For each quotation, a source and first date of use is cited. In many cases, new research for this book has uncovered an earlier date or a different author than had previously been understood. (It was Beatrice Kaufman, not Sophie Tucker, who exclaimed, Ive been poor and Ive been rich. Rich is better!” William Tecumseh Sherman wasnt the originator of War is hell!” It was Napoleon.) Numerous entries are enhanced with annotations to clarify meaning or context for the reader. These interesting annotations, along with extensive cross-references that identify related quotations and a large keyword index, will satisfy both the reader who seeks specific information and the curious browser who appreciates an amble through entertaining pages.
Review
“Well-researched and entertaining...a skillful mix of scholarship and readability that will appeal to legal professionals, law students, and all those interested in the language of our legal system.”—Joan Pedzich, Library Journal Joan Pedzich
Review
"Lawtalk combines enormous erudition with loads of levity-the result being a compulsively browsable book that will leave readers wordly-wise."and#8212;Bryan A. Garner, President, LawProse, Inc., Editor in Chief, Black's Law Dictionary
Review
"A genuine contribution in an area where precious little exists. Extraordinarily original and of even more extraordinary scholarship, truly erudite, researched and sourced. I would run to buy it." --Roger Newman,and#160;editor of The Yale Biographical Dictionary of American Law.
Review
and#8220;This imaginative book will enlighten and amuse not only lawyers, but anyone who thinks about law, talks about law, or has to deal with lawand#8212;that is to say, all of us,and#8221;and#8212;Linda Greenhouse, author of Becoming Justice Blackmun
Review
"The language of the law is endlessly colorful, sometimes quite literally so: think of blue laws, green cards, blackmail and white-shoe firms. Finally we have an authoritative reference for all these terms and many more, written in a highly engaging style. Even if you're a shyster who couldn't indict a ham sandwich, at least now you'll know where those expressions came from."and#8212;Ben Zimmer, executive producer of VisualThesaurus.com and Vocabulary.com.
Review
and#8220;Lawtalk is not just entertaining, but also quite educational. Lawyers, judges, and lay people interested in the workings of the legal system can learn a great deal from it,and#8221;and#8212;Peter Tiersma, Loyola Law School, Los Angeles.
Review
and#8220;Well-researched and entertaining...a skillful mix of scholarship and readability...extensively documented with social, cultural, historic, and, of course, legal sources.and#8221;and#8212;Joan Pedzich, Library Journal
Review
"Lawtalk is serious scholarship. Yet it is written to appeal not only to lawyers but also to anyone who enjoys learning about English expressions and their origins. . . . intellectually fulfilling and easy to read."—JoAnn Baca, The Federal Lawyer Library Journal
Review
"Elegant, deliciously detailed, and authoritative . . . demonstrate[s] that learning can be fun."and#8212;Glenn C. Altschuler, Huffington Post
Review
and#8220;Lively and entertaining . . . fascinating . . . a gem of a book . . . well-documented and well-researched . . . Lawtalk yields a multitude of interesting and amusing tidbits.and#8221;and#8212;Donna M. Fisher, AALL Spectrum (American Association of Law Libraries)
Review
"Lawtalk is serious scholarship . . . leavened with wry wit and a snappy style of writing that keeps one turning pages both to discover more and to smile more."and#8212;JoAnn Baca, The Federal Lawyer
Review
“Insightful and entertaining”—Spartanburg Herald Journal Donna M. Fisher - AALL Spectrum
Review
“Fun and well-researched.”—Howard Shapiro, Philadelphia Inquirer Spartanburg Herald Journal
Review
"A group of distinguished professorial lawyers . . . tell us the history and meaning of lawyer talk.and#8221;and#8212;Jacob Stein, Washington Lawyer
Review
"Very well researched and comprehensive. . .The history behind each phrase is fascinating. . .Provides an enlightening insight into the countless pieces of and#8216;legaleseand#8217; to which we are all exposed daily, but have had little reason to question - until now."and#8212;Law Actually blog
Review
and#8220;Insightful . . . [and] as entertaining as it is enlightening.and#8221;and#8212;John G. Browning, Southeast Texas Record
Review
andldquo;[Lawtalk] would be a treasured newcomer to any bookshelf and provides an enlightening insight into the countless pieces of andlsquo;legaleseandrsquo; to which we are all exposed daily, but have had little reason to question - until now.andrdquo;andmdash;Law Actually
Review
andquot;A witty, informative collection . . . In a refreshingly candid manner,and#160;Lawtalkand#160;explores race, gender, and class issues associated with the evolution of commonly used phrases . . . Amusing, enlightening, and authoritative, this well-researched mini-reference is something readers will return to repeatedly.andquot;andmdash;Danielle Ochs-Tillotson,and#160;California Lawyer
Review
andldquo;Lawtalkand#160;stands apart from many popular works on word origins for the academic rigor underpinning its accessibility.andrdquo;andmdash;Rebecca Shapiro,and#160;Dictionaries: Journal of the Dictionary Society of North Americaand#160;
Review
and#8220;Insightful and entertainingand#8221;and#8212;Spartanburg Herald Journal
Review
and#8220;Fun and well-researched.and#8221;and#8212;Howard Shapiro, Philadelphia Inquirer
Synopsis
Not just for lawyers, these illuminating histories of popular law-related expressions will delight anyone fascinated by words, by history, or by law and law enforcement
Law-related words and phrases abound in our everyday language, often without our being aware of their origins or their particular legal significance: boilerplate, jailbait, pound of flesh, rainmaker, the third degree. This insightful and entertaining book reveals the unknown stories behind familiar legal expressions that come from sources as diverse as Shakespeare, vaudeville, and Dr. Seuss. Separate entries for each expression follow no prescribed formula but instead focus on the most interesting, enlightening, and surprising aspects of the words and their evolution. Popular myths and misunderstandings are explored and exploded, and the entries are augmented with historical images and humorous sidebars.
Lively and unexpected, Lawtalk will draw a diverse array of readers with its abundance of linguistic, legal, historical, and cultural information. Those readers should be forewarned: upon finishing one entry, there is an irresistible temptation to turn to another, and yet another . . .
Synopsis
Not just for lawyers, these illuminating histories of popular law-related expressions will delight anyone fascinated by words, by history, or by law and law enforcement
Synopsis
Law-related words and phrases abound in our everyday language, often without our being aware of their origins or their particular legal significance:
boilerplate,
jailbait,
pound of flesh,
rainmaker,
the third degree. This insightful and entertaining book reveals the unknown stories behind familiar legal expressions that come from sources as diverse as Shakespeare, vaudeville, and Dr. Seuss. Separate entries for each expression follow no prescribed formula but instead focus on the most interesting, enlightening, and surprising aspects of the words and their evolution. Popular myths and misunderstandings are explored and exploded, and the entries are augmented with historical images and humorous sidebars.
Lively and unexpected, Lawtalk will draw a diverse array of readers with its abundance of linguistic, legal, historical, and cultural information. Those readers should be forewarned: upon finishing one entry, there is an irresistible temptation to turn to another, and yet another . and#160;. and#160;.
About the Author
James E. Clapp, a member of the New York and District of Columbia bars and a former litigator, works primarily in the field of legal lexicography. He is the author of Random House Webster's Dictionary of the Law. Elizabeth G. Thornburg is a professor at SMU Dedman School of Law, where she teaches and writes about civil procedure and alternative dispute resolution. Marc Galanter is John and Rylla Bosshard Professor Emeritus of Law and South Asian Studies, University of Wisconsinand#8211;Madison, and the author of Lowering the Bar: Lawyer Jokes and Legal Culture. Fred R. Shapiro is associate librarian and lecturer in legal research, Yale Law School. He is the editor of The Yale Book of Quotations, available from Yale University Press, and a major contributor to both the second and the third editions of the Oxford English Dictionary.