Richard A. Spears, Ph.D., is a reference editor and former linguistics professor who has written more than 30 dictionaries, including NTC's American Idioms Dictionary (ISBN: 0-8442-0273-8) and NTC's American English Learner's Dictionary (ISBN: 0-8442-5859-8). McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide