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Language of the underworld
Book Reviews
99
conversing. Hall states, “when we talk to each other our central nervous systems mesh like two gears in a transmission” (p. 166). People in different cultures not only have different rhythms of movement, speech, and thought, they may also have different central nervous systems which may be “out of sync” with each other when they interact. This book is filled with interesting anecdotes and case histories. Hall skillfully uses these illustrations to describe, clarify, and crystallize many of his complex concepts and ideas. He presents extensive research data to provide empirical support to the assertions he makes in this book. For those who are Edward Hall aficionados, this book is a must. 7?re Dunce of Life is part of the logical progression of his thinking over the years, and adds an important dimension to our understanding of cultural imprints on human behavior. Reading this brilliant and challenging treatise is certainly well worth the time. Gary R. Weaver American University Washington, DC
LANGUAGE OF THE UNDERWORLD David W Maurer (Collected and edited by Allan W. Futrell and Charles B. Wordell) Lexington, Kentucky: $30.00 (hardcover)
The University
Press of Kentucky,
1981, 417 pp.,
Students of intercultural communication have historically gathered much of their content from other disciplines. This collection of 20 articles by linguist David W. Maurer is yet another example of the advantages of such academic borrowing. However, to fully appreciate the link between Maurer’s work and intercultural communication one must be aware of the impact and influence of Maurer on both linguistics and anthropology. This influence, and the reasons for it, make this collection an important volume for anyone concerned with how members of different cultures share ideas and feelings. For those not familiar with Maurer’s research, it should be noted that over 50 years ago he championed the notion that language and culture are inseparable. While this idea may not be new in 1983, it was seldom studied in 1930-the year Maurer published his first four articles on the argot of subcultural groups. At that time descriptive lexicography (defining words in terms of behavior) was only a theory. The techniques of descriptive linguistics had been developed by such anthropologists as Sapir and
100
Book Revieuss
Bloomfield, but until Maurer’s studies these theories had seldom been put into practice. What Maurer did in those early years, and continued to do for half a century, was to go out “into the field” and see how various subcultures used language. Maurer’s overriding assumption was that by defining words (argot) from the point of view of the subculture that used them, he could gain insight into that subculture’s attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors. He maintained that the words these groups selected, and the reason behind that selection, told us about that group’s environment and what they thought of that environment. His premise was simply and clearly stated by Kantrowitz: “If a phenomenon is important, it is perceived, and being perceived, it is labeled.” This volume looks at thousands of those labels (words and phrases) from 20 different subcultures. The articles and glossaries in this collection are drawn from more than 200 books, monographs, essays, and professional papers written by Maurer over a 50-year period. The following samples of chapter titles will identify the range of subcultures treated in this volume: “Circus and Carnival Argot,” “The Argot of the Underworld Narcotic Addict, ” “Prostitutes and Criminal Argot,” ” Marijuana Users and Their Lingo,” “The Argot of Pickpockets,” “The Argot of the Moonshiner,” and “The Argot of the Racetrack.” The arrangement of the articles is chronological according to the date the piece was first published. Most of the selections have two introductions. The first is written by Maurer especially for this volume, and places the argot into its proper historical context by describing the circumstances surrounding the writing of the article. The second introduction is extremely interesting in that it is one that appeared when the article was originally published, thus enabling the reader to share in Maurer’s original perspective as well as in the evolution of that perspective. What fun it is to reminisce along with a famous researcher as he evaluates his long career: “Nearly 50 years later I hardly know what motivated my publishing this article. I suspect 1 smelled something rather yeasty in the linguistic ferment which was bubbling beneath the tight lid of literary purism.” People concerned with intercultural communication will like the fact that Maurer includes behavioral, cultural, and psychological details with each article. These details help the reader understand the meaning and ambience of each of the vocabularies. The actual vocabularies (there are thousands of them) add to our knowledge of each of the subcultures. For example, we can see part of the life style and the role of illegal activity within the circus and carnival subculture with argot such as ‘grifter, short-change artists, pickpockets, and con-men who preyed upon the local citizenry and paid the management a percentage of the take; mender orpatch, people who resolved conflicts between the circus and the local law; monkey, a rube (native) who has been taken in or fleeced; squawk, a ‘monkey’ who registers a complaint over losses; jam-man, a pitchman who has no professional ethics-he would box up axle-grease and sell it for salve, or sell colored and perfumed water
Book Reviews
IO1
for hair tonic; lugger, someone who is paid to bring in customers to certain shows; dip, a pickpocket; cleaner, the man who takes paid players aside and recovers the money or prizes they have won to make an impression on the crowd; and slum, cheap goods to be given as prizes.” Each of these and the many other examples help us understand the group using them. The book includes a forward by Stuart Berg Flexner that explains Maurer’s contribution to language studies. There is also a long introduction written by the editors. This section is useful in that it attempts to explain Maurer’s research methodology. For example, Maurer’s interview techniques, methods of validation and authenticity, recording devices, crosschecking procedures, and the like are discussed. The volume concludes with an epilogue by Maurer (“Social Dialects as a Key in Cultural Dynamics”), and a general and key word index. Admittedly Maurer’s research procedures seem unsophisticated by today’s standards (we are never told specifically how many subjects he interviewed or the length of the interviews), and many of the groups he studied seem obscure (“North Atlantic Fishermen,” I‘Moonshiners”), yet the articles and glossaries help us appreciate Emerson’s observation that “Language is the archives of history.” The words and definitions in this collection tell us of the history, both past and present, of groups other than our own. It is this information that is often the key to effective communication. To that end, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in intercultural communication-to anyone who accepts the notion that language and behavior are so intertwined that it is often difficult to say which is the voice and which the echo. Larry A. Samovar San Diego State University San Diego, California
HANDBOOK
OF INTERCULTURAL VOLUMES I, II, III
Dan Landis and Richard
New York: Pergamon
TRAINING.
W. Brislin (Editors)
Press 1983, 951 pp., $100.00 (hardcover)
Brandt introduce the Handbook of Intercultural analysis of the history of intercultural relations. They choose as their starting point the march of imperial armies, followed by both religious and mercantile interests (Mars, God, and Mammon as the intercultural trinity, so-to-speak). Brislin,
Landis
and
Training with a lighthearted
99
conversing. Hall states, “when we talk to each other our central nervous systems mesh like two gears in a transmission” (p. 166). People in different cultures not only have different rhythms of movement, speech, and thought, they may also have different central nervous systems which may be “out of sync” with each other when they interact. This book is filled with interesting anecdotes and case histories. Hall skillfully uses these illustrations to describe, clarify, and crystallize many of his complex concepts and ideas. He presents extensive research data to provide empirical support to the assertions he makes in this book. For those who are Edward Hall aficionados, this book is a must. 7?re Dunce of Life is part of the logical progression of his thinking over the years, and adds an important dimension to our understanding of cultural imprints on human behavior. Reading this brilliant and challenging treatise is certainly well worth the time. Gary R. Weaver American University Washington, DC
LANGUAGE OF THE UNDERWORLD David W Maurer (Collected and edited by Allan W. Futrell and Charles B. Wordell) Lexington, Kentucky: $30.00 (hardcover)
The University
Press of Kentucky,
1981, 417 pp.,
Students of intercultural communication have historically gathered much of their content from other disciplines. This collection of 20 articles by linguist David W. Maurer is yet another example of the advantages of such academic borrowing. However, to fully appreciate the link between Maurer’s work and intercultural communication one must be aware of the impact and influence of Maurer on both linguistics and anthropology. This influence, and the reasons for it, make this collection an important volume for anyone concerned with how members of different cultures share ideas and feelings. For those not familiar with Maurer’s research, it should be noted that over 50 years ago he championed the notion that language and culture are inseparable. While this idea may not be new in 1983, it was seldom studied in 1930-the year Maurer published his first four articles on the argot of subcultural groups. At that time descriptive lexicography (defining words in terms of behavior) was only a theory. The techniques of descriptive linguistics had been developed by such anthropologists as Sapir and
100
Book Revieuss
Bloomfield, but until Maurer’s studies these theories had seldom been put into practice. What Maurer did in those early years, and continued to do for half a century, was to go out “into the field” and see how various subcultures used language. Maurer’s overriding assumption was that by defining words (argot) from the point of view of the subculture that used them, he could gain insight into that subculture’s attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors. He maintained that the words these groups selected, and the reason behind that selection, told us about that group’s environment and what they thought of that environment. His premise was simply and clearly stated by Kantrowitz: “If a phenomenon is important, it is perceived, and being perceived, it is labeled.” This volume looks at thousands of those labels (words and phrases) from 20 different subcultures. The articles and glossaries in this collection are drawn from more than 200 books, monographs, essays, and professional papers written by Maurer over a 50-year period. The following samples of chapter titles will identify the range of subcultures treated in this volume: “Circus and Carnival Argot,” “The Argot of the Underworld Narcotic Addict, ” “Prostitutes and Criminal Argot,” ” Marijuana Users and Their Lingo,” “The Argot of Pickpockets,” “The Argot of the Moonshiner,” and “The Argot of the Racetrack.” The arrangement of the articles is chronological according to the date the piece was first published. Most of the selections have two introductions. The first is written by Maurer especially for this volume, and places the argot into its proper historical context by describing the circumstances surrounding the writing of the article. The second introduction is extremely interesting in that it is one that appeared when the article was originally published, thus enabling the reader to share in Maurer’s original perspective as well as in the evolution of that perspective. What fun it is to reminisce along with a famous researcher as he evaluates his long career: “Nearly 50 years later I hardly know what motivated my publishing this article. I suspect 1 smelled something rather yeasty in the linguistic ferment which was bubbling beneath the tight lid of literary purism.” People concerned with intercultural communication will like the fact that Maurer includes behavioral, cultural, and psychological details with each article. These details help the reader understand the meaning and ambience of each of the vocabularies. The actual vocabularies (there are thousands of them) add to our knowledge of each of the subcultures. For example, we can see part of the life style and the role of illegal activity within the circus and carnival subculture with argot such as ‘grifter, short-change artists, pickpockets, and con-men who preyed upon the local citizenry and paid the management a percentage of the take; mender orpatch, people who resolved conflicts between the circus and the local law; monkey, a rube (native) who has been taken in or fleeced; squawk, a ‘monkey’ who registers a complaint over losses; jam-man, a pitchman who has no professional ethics-he would box up axle-grease and sell it for salve, or sell colored and perfumed water
Book Reviews
IO1
for hair tonic; lugger, someone who is paid to bring in customers to certain shows; dip, a pickpocket; cleaner, the man who takes paid players aside and recovers the money or prizes they have won to make an impression on the crowd; and slum, cheap goods to be given as prizes.” Each of these and the many other examples help us understand the group using them. The book includes a forward by Stuart Berg Flexner that explains Maurer’s contribution to language studies. There is also a long introduction written by the editors. This section is useful in that it attempts to explain Maurer’s research methodology. For example, Maurer’s interview techniques, methods of validation and authenticity, recording devices, crosschecking procedures, and the like are discussed. The volume concludes with an epilogue by Maurer (“Social Dialects as a Key in Cultural Dynamics”), and a general and key word index. Admittedly Maurer’s research procedures seem unsophisticated by today’s standards (we are never told specifically how many subjects he interviewed or the length of the interviews), and many of the groups he studied seem obscure (“North Atlantic Fishermen,” I‘Moonshiners”), yet the articles and glossaries help us appreciate Emerson’s observation that “Language is the archives of history.” The words and definitions in this collection tell us of the history, both past and present, of groups other than our own. It is this information that is often the key to effective communication. To that end, I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in intercultural communication-to anyone who accepts the notion that language and behavior are so intertwined that it is often difficult to say which is the voice and which the echo. Larry A. Samovar San Diego State University San Diego, California
HANDBOOK
OF INTERCULTURAL VOLUMES I, II, III
Dan Landis and Richard
New York: Pergamon
TRAINING.
W. Brislin (Editors)
Press 1983, 951 pp., $100.00 (hardcover)
Brandt introduce the Handbook of Intercultural analysis of the history of intercultural relations. They choose as their starting point the march of imperial armies, followed by both religious and mercantile interests (Mars, God, and Mammon as the intercultural trinity, so-to-speak). Brislin,
Landis
and
Training with a lighthearted