TY - BOOK AU - Lunn,Hugh TI - Words fail me: a journey through Australia's lost language SN - 9780733322518 (pbk.) U1 - 427.994 22 PY - 2010/// CY - Pymble, N.S.W. PB - ABC Books KW - English language KW - Australia KW - Usage KW - Social aspects KW - Australianisms KW - Sociolinguistics KW - Language and culture N2 - SOCIOLINGUISTICS. AUSTRALIAN. Hundreds of readers have responded to author Hugh Lunn's request and donated a torrent of forgotten words and sayings that he overlooked in his first book. 'So many arrived it was like trying to take a sip out of a fire hose,' Hugh said. 'And these words were so obvious, that if they were a snake, they would have bitten me by now.' WORDS FAIL ME intertwines the sayings and phrases of yesteryear with true stories and anecdotes and recaptures what Australian used to be like back when. Hugh also casts a satirical eye on modern language madnesses: the road signs, the asterisks, the gobbledegook andcorporate speak that have replaced our euphonious direct language. As they would say today: 'He is having issues!' Lovingly collected, WORDS FAIL ME takes delight in the way we once were; a people with their own unique lingo --- clear, exaggerated and joyful ER -