Schott’s Significa. An Unexpectedly Essential Guide to Language

SCHOTT IS BACK – and better than ever.

From the mind behind the million-copy bestseller Schott’s Original Miscellany comes an indispensable field guide to the hidden lore and secret languages of our modern age.

A must-give gift for word nerds, culture lovers and the endlessly curious


When do London cabbies take oranges and lemons?
How do marmalade droppers sell newspapers?
Who eats the forbidden brownie at Starbucks?

Secret languages surround us. From graffiti writers, gondoliers, and gym rats to spies, sneakerheads, and Swifties ― every group creates a private lingo of jargon and gesture that eludes the rest of the world.

Not anymore.

In Schott’s Significa, Ben Schott ― bestselling author and master curator of the ungoogleable ― unlocks 53 of the most intriguing linguistic subcultures, including:

• Casinos and crypto
• Doctors and dog walkers
• Bartenders and typographers
• Stunt performers and church ushers
• Paparazzi snappers and competitive eaters.

Painstakingly researched, lavishly illustrated and exquisitely designed, Schott’s Significa is more than a miscellany of secret languages.

It’s a celebration of the power of communication, the joy of connection, and the delight of discovery.

About the Author

Ben Schott is the creator and designer of the international bestseller Schott’s Original Miscellany and its three sequels. He subsequently published a series of Schott’s Almanacs, a collection of German neologisms – Schottenfreude – and two authorized homages to P. G. Wodehouse, Jeeves and The King of Clubs and Jeeves and The Leap of Faith. Together, these books have sold some 2.5 million copies in 21 languages (including Braille). Ben has written for the Times, The Telegraph, The New York Times, The Spectator, The Guardian, Private Eye, Reader’s Digest and The Paris Review, among others. In 2004 he won a D&AD Pencil for Creative Excellence, and in 2015 he won the James Beard award for humour.