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Author: Barry J. Blake

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2010

ISBN: 0199579288, 352 Pages, True PDF

Quote: From the chat codes "PAW" or "Code 9" that teens use to let their friends know that parents are

eavesdropping, to the high-powered, computer-driven encryptions used by governments to prevent foreign

powers from stealing classified information, covert language is ubiquitous in our society. Now, in

Secret Language, Barry Blake takes the reader on a fascinating excursion down this mysterious trail of

words, ranging across time and culture. With revelations on every page, and sample codes and puzzles

for the reader to crack, it will entertain everyone with an urge to know more about the most arcane and

curious uses of language.

From backmasking to the Enigma Machine, from magic words to literary symbols, here is a lively,

engaging tour of languages that hide their meanings from all but a chosen few. Blake explains the

difference between ciphers and codes (Morse code, oddly enough, is not a code but a cipher) and shows

how secret messages have been written--and broken--for almost two thousand years. He explores the

history and uses of the slang and argot of schools and trades, tracing the stories of centuries-old

cants such as those used by sailors and criminals--among them polari, the mix of Italian, Yiddish, and

slang once spoken among strolling players and circus folk and most recently adopted by the gay

community. He examines the sacred languages of ancient cults and religions, uncovers the workings of

onomancy, spells, and gematria, considers the obliqueness of allusion and parody, and celebrates the

absurdities of euphemism and jargon.

Anyone who enjoys word games and riddles, who loves finding out the hidden meanings of slang or argot,

or who delights in spy novels or real-life tales of espionage, will find this volume an endless source

of fascination.

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