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From the author of the international bestseller Schott's Original Miscellany comes a fascinating, visually rich, and obsessive look at the systems of language and signs all around us, breaking down the jargon and graphic cues found in dozens of fascinating professions, events, subcultures, and more.
From Ben Schott, bestselling author of Schott’s Original Miscellany, here is an obsessive and fascinating look at the systems of language and knowledge all around us. In this newest masterpiece, Schott breaks down the lingo, slang, and jargon found in dozens of fascinating professions, events, and subcultures—from the insider language used in casino gambling to the NYC diamond district and professional sommeliers to London cabbies. For those who love language and to gain access to rarified worlds, this book is an elegant and smart look at so much hiding in plain sight around us. With its gorgeously erudite and detailed design, full-color photos throughout, and its thoroughly researched survey of lingo and culture, Schott’s Significa will change how you see the world.
Schott's Significa A Miscellany of Secret Languages
by Schott, BenFormat: Hardcover
Pub. Date: 2025-10-07
Publisher(s): Workman Publishing Company
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Summary
Author Biography
Ben Schott is the creator and designer of the international bestseller Schott’s Original Miscellany. and its three sequels. He subsequently published a series of Miscellanies and Almanacs and the book Schottenfreude, which have sold 2.5 million copies in 21 languages (including Braille). Ben has written for The Times, The Telegraph, The New York Times, The Spectator, The Guardian, Private Eye, Reader’s Digest, The Paris Review, Bloomberg Opinion, Bon Appétit, Portfolio, The Paris Review, and Playboy. In 2015 he won the James Beard award for humo(u)r, and in 2004 he won a D&AD Pencil for Creative Excellence.
Table of Contents
Venetian Gondoliers: Gondola! Gondola!
Movie Poster Billing Block: Where Credit’s Due
Eleven Madison Park: Sign Dining
Sneakerheads: Heat in Hand & Straight to Feet
Competitive Eating: A Games of Crumbs
Taylor Swift: One, Two, Three, Let’s Go Bitch!
Alphabet of Realpolitik: Agit-Prop Z–A
Las Vegas Casinos: Stacking Aces in the Court of King George
Italian Gesticulations: Fatto a Mano Con Amore
Reality T.V.: “I’m Not Here to Make Friends!”
Typography: Quick Foxes, Pig Bristles, Dingbats, & Gadzooks
Santas Claus: Feeding the Reindeer
Bartenders: Boomerangs Behind Bars
Open Outcry Trading: Making Money Hand Over Fist
Fashion Week: Fashion on the Out & Back
Horse Racing:Tic-Tac & Racing Talk
Gymns: Gymspiration at the Glorious House of Gain
Paparazzi: Hosing it Down with the Nikon Choir
Crypto: Wen Lambo, Cryptobro?
Hunting with Hounds: Hunting / Sabbing
Occupy Wall Street: Wall Street Consensus
Espionage: The Mice, Moles, & Chicken Feed of Spycraft
Sommeliers: Double Decanting the Tattle of the Somm
London Clubland: White Elects, Black Rejects
Foodies & Food Foibles: The Omnibore’s Dilemma
House Styles: Boffo Slanguage & Supercurt Styles
The Cresta Run: Up, and Apparently Unharmed!
Starbucks: Grinding the Siren’s Bean Water
Cartoons: Comics … Stripped
Auction Houses: Chandelier Bids at the Tournament of Value
T.V. Floor Managers: Cue Camera Three!
Graffiti Writers: As Far as the Arm Can Reach
Rare Books: Shelf-Cocked, Else Fine
London Black Cabs: “Where to Guv?”
Political Gestures: The Body Politic
Gender, Sex, Identity: S.O.G.I.E.S.C. & L.G.B.T.Q.I.A.+
New York Diamond District: Making Mazal on Diamond Way
Church Ushers:To Be a Doorkeeper in the House of My God
Fandoms: Fans, Stans, Furries, & Shippers
Stunts & Stunt Performers: Stunt Shuffles & The Illusion of Danger
Restaurants: Terms of Service
Bespoke Tailors: Rock of Eye on Savile Row
South African Taxi Signs: Tekesi!
U.S. Politics: Washington Read
Pride Flags: A Vexillology of Pride
Print Journalism: Hold the Front Page!
The Manosphere: The Dread Game
Medicine: Doctors & Nurses
Army Hand Signals: As You Were, Solider
Dog Walkers: Walkie Talkie
Influencers: Break the Internet
James Bond: The d.n.a. of Dr. No(o7)
Protest & Power: Agit-Prop Iconography
Acknowledgements & References
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