Wordbirds: An Irreverent Lexicon for the 21st Century Book

This charming and whimsically illustrated book of newly minted words—on politics and the media, love and friendship, work, play, family, fashion, and city life—presents a necessary vocabulary for the ever-changing customs of the young millennium.

Based on her "Wordbirds" blog, Liesl Schillinger's witty and wise collection of neologisms defines the peculiarities of modern life that we recognize, but until now were unable to put into words. With her finger on the pulse of the digital age, Schillinger has created a fresh and funny dictionary for the twenty-first century.

This beautiful gift book features a stunning array of full-color bird illustrations that bring to life the spirit of each coinage, from the anxious "E-Quail" to the irksome "Wordpecker." With its clever embrace of language and astute cultural observations, Wordbirds takes word humor to a whole new level.

Canonbail: To intend to spend one's leisure hours reading great works of literature, but to end up reading less lofty fare. Usage: Riky packed Moby Dick for the train ride to East Hampton, but at Penn Station she canonbailed and bought a handful of glossy magazines.

Polterguy: An ex-boyfriend who exerts a haunting, destructive influence on a person's later relationships. Usage: Augusta had just gotten engaged to Sam when her polterguy, Mitchell, called after a long silence and told her he was coming to town.