Slang and cant in Jerome K. Jerome's works

An analytical study examines vulgarism, cant, and colloquial speech in the fiction and essays of Jerome K. Jerome, surveying phonetics, inflection, and syntax to show how nonstandard registers function in his characterization. It classifies expressions as slang, vulgar, colloquial, or intermediate, notes their social distribution by speaker sex and education, and attempts historical and etymological tracing where possible. The author discusses methodological problems in distinguishing registers, cites contemporary authorities, and provides a bibliography and index to support close readings of how everyday and subcultural language contributes to tone, social detail, and narrative voice.