Burgess Unabridged

Ever wonder where the word “blurb” comes from? Gelett Burgess coined this slang term and many others when he published this fanciful dictionary of entirely made-up words back in 1914. “Blurb,” now a common usage word, was originally a noun created by Burgess to describe the advertising carried on the dust jacket of a book. It means “to flatter from interested motives.” Although “blurb “ is one of the few slang words from this hilarious dictionary that managed to find its way into modern American vernacular, and actually become a legitimate word, the colloquial non-standard vocabulary words and expressions in this book are fun to read as they shed light on popular culture in twentieth century America and underscore the playful nature of language.