Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the present book, by outlining its objectives, providing a working definition for ritual, and introducting the concept of the ritual perspective. The chappter also introduces the conventions used in this book and overviews its contents.

This chapter briefly describes the scope and aims of the book and the history of quantum optics as a science in its own right.

The aim of this book is to provide a linguistic description of borrowings in informal American English and to serve as a practical resource documenting this type of language. These foreign-origin expressions, comprising both slang and colloquialism, constitute a vibrant sociolinguistic phenomenon resulting from language contact, and function as an important yet rarely discussed lexical contribution to American English. Their significance stems from the sociolinguistic significance of informal language in the United States, the strong presence of borrowings in American speech reflecting the immigrant nature of the country and the growing role of ethnic minorities, as well as the increasingly common use of this type of lexicon among larger segments of American society.

The volume will open with a brief introduction to Wallace’s work, including a list of works and a short biography. The introduction will also offer a brief history of Wallace Studies, identifying several waves of critical work that provide a useful critical framework for students and scholars, and providing some direction for further reading that will be picked up in a bibliography at the end of the volume. The introduction will also introduce readers to some of the key themes in Wallace Studies that the following chapters will take up, framing the rest of the volume in a clear and concise manner.