Fatal flaw of this book is it does not provide date when the words and phrases entered lexicon. As a writer, this is important...can't write a period piece if unsure about usage; would be nice if the dictionary included dialect/region of origin or usage as well. "Dictionary of American Slang" by Harold Wentworth does provide origin/usage dates, just have to find the right edition (not sure if it's a feature of post 1980 editions).I would recommend this dictionary (or any dictionary on slang) to someone learning English language and needs help with American idioms. A second star was awarded for some rather crude vulgarities, you can't get such candid text in Arabic idiom phrase books.