This book is the second edition of Francis Grose's dictionary of slang terms used among the working population of London in the eighteenth century. It was published in 1788, three years after the first edition, which, despite its popularity, some viewed as being too vulgar for general use. The second edition purports to have removed or edited some of the more inappropriate words. In some cases, the opposite occurred and numerous – particularly the most obscene –entries were expanded upon. The book provides a humorous and insightful view of London life in the late eighteenth century. Many words and phrases, such as "gift of the gab", "ragamuffin" and "flabbergasted" are still in use today, while others, such as "famgrasp" (meaning handshake) and the euphemism "studying the history of the four kings" (which refers to playing card games) have fallen out of general usage.