American Language

By H.L. Mencken

The American Language, first published in 1919, is H. L. Mencken's book about the English language as spoken in the United States.

Mencken was inspired by "the argot of the colored waiters" in Washington, as well as one of his favorite authors, Mark Twain, and his experiences on the streets of Baltimore. In 1902, Mencken remarked on the "queer words which go into the making of 'United States.'" The book was preceded by several columns in The Evening Sun. Mencken eventually asked "Why doesn't some painstaking pundit attempt a grammar of the American language... English, that is, as spoken by the great masses of the plain people of this fair land?" It would appear that he answered his own question.

In the tradition of Noah Webster, who wrote the first American dictionary, Mencken wanted to defend "Americanisms" against a steady stream of English critics, who usually isolated Americanisms as borderline barbarous perversions of the mother tongue. Mencken assaulted the prescriptive grammar of these critics and American "schoolmarms", arguing, like Samuel Johnson in the preface to his dictionary, that language evolves independently of textbooks.

The book discusses the beginnings of "American" variations from "English", the spread of these variations, American names and slang over the course of its 374 pages. According to Mencken, American English was more colorful, vivid, and creative than its British counterpart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 4, 2012
• ISBN: 9780307808790

H.L. Mencken

H. L. Mencken was an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic, and scholar of American English. He commented widely on the social scene, literature, music, prominent politicians, and contemporary movements. Mencken is best known for The American Language, a multivolume study of how the English language is spoken in the United States.

Reviews for American Language

[bekkil1977 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The girls go exploring a rundown old gatehouse on the Wheeler's property that they are planning on turning into a clubhouse for their new club, the Bob-Whites (lots of rundown buildings in this area of New York, for some reason). Trixie finds a diamond in the dirt floor and convinces Honey to let her try to figure out how it got there. She's convinced she and Honey can track down the diamond thief better than the actual police could (I do love the sheer improbability of these books. I know it sounds like I'm making fun, but I truly do love them). Trixie is sure someone was hiding in the woods and overheard her and Honey's conversation. The next day, two men show up at Manor House looking for jobs: Nailor, a gardener, and Dick, a chauffeur. Both men are hired (the Wheelers apparently aren't big fans of background checks) and Dick is assigned a room over the garage with Regan (poor Regan) while Nailor sleeps in the house. Trixie is positive she heard someone trying to sneak into Honey's room that night when she sleeps over, and she's convinced it's Dick. He certainly does act suspiciously, and of course in the end Trixie was right. Dick is arrested and the girls get a nice fat reward for their part in helping to catch a notorious pickpocket, which they use to buy Miss Trask a horse.

[aprilbrown_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A childhood favorite re-visited.

Is the story as good as I remember? – Yes

What ages would I recommend it too? – Ten and up.

Length? – Most of a day’s read.

Characters? – Memorable, several characters.

Setting? – Real world, pre - computer pre - air conditioning, pre - cell phone.

Written approximately? – 1951.

Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? – Ready to read more.

Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? Yes. A slight mention of the time frame of the story - as the teens are given far more freedom to come and go as they please than would be safe today. Also, the absence of computers, cell phones, and air conditioning in homes, especially the mansion.

Short storyline: Trixie Belden, Honey, Jim, and her brothers work to catch the thieves who dropped a diamond in their future clubhouse. This one spends a lot of time focusing on thought processing, and less action.


Notes for the reader: A great mystery! No violence (only referred to from the past), no murder.

[satyridae · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This may be the first novel I've ever read that was constructed entirely (and I do mean entirely) out of slang and baby-talk. This is not a see-crud, I guess, to those of you who are fans of this series. I can already hear you saying, "Natch. And isn't it just yummy-yum-yum?"

To a certain degree, I guess it is. There's a secret-club feel to this series, a belonging and an inclusion that I imagine would appeal greatly to odd little kids. The mystery wasn't very mysterious, but it was fun to meet the brothers of Trixie. And I admit to snorting with adolescent-style laughter every time the boys called the girls "Moll Dicks, Inc." because yes, I am twelve years old. The plotting is solid, if transparent. The characters are very likable, though I can't really tell the boys apart yet.

I don't like the illustrations, I think they make Trixie and Honey look eight years old.

[macjest · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The last book in the introductory trilogy. We get to meet the Trixie's brothers who have come home from working at summer camp. This is also the book where the Bob-Whites of the Glen (the club all of them belong to) gets established.How I wished that I could have belonged to their club. Five teenagers who get along with each other and have adventures. How cool is that!

[6m2008 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The gate house mystery is a real page turner and also very mysterious :)