Partridge, Eric (1894-1979), was a British expert in the study of the English language. Partridge wrote pioneering examinations of slang, cliches, and jargon in the English language that combined rigorous scholarship with a lighthearted writing style.
Eric Honeywood Partridge was born on Feb. 6, 1894, in the Waimata valley, near Gisborne, New Zealand. In 1907, Partridge’s family moved to Australia. He was educated at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Partridge earned a bachelor’s degree in 1921 and a master’s degree in 1923 in modern languages (French and English). He also received a bachelor’s degree in literature from Oxford University in England in 1923. He was a lecturer in English literature at the universities of Manchester and London from 1925 to 1927. Partridge became a full-time writer in 1932.
Partridge published many books, including his major work, Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (1937); Dictionary of Cliches (1940); Shakespeare’s Bawdy (1947); Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English (1947); Dictionary of the Underworld (1950); and Origins (1950). He published some books, including a collection of short stories and a novel, under the pen name Corrie Denison. Partridge died on June 1, 1979.
