Elizabeth Reid began learning Spanish in Junior High School at the age of twelve. She has lived near the Mexican border most of her life. She "went native" in 1985, moving to Rosarito, Baja California, where she taught English to the locals for eight years.
Her love affair with the Spanish language includes a fascination for the customs of the people and an appreciation of their culture. Dr. Reid has also written "Mexican Slang Plus Graffiti," and "Native Speaker".

This book will teach the reader Spanish and slang and a bit about Latin American culture, especially Mexican customs, which is almost as important if one is to get along in another country. "Spanish Lingo for the Savvy Gringo" gives the vocabulary related to a particular topic so that you can study the words that you need right now. The pronunciation is given after the first time a word is used in each chapter. I have attempted to write the pronunciation without a lot of technical, dictionary symbols. The stressed syllable is in capital letters in the pronunciation. The chapters do not have to be read in any special order. You can choose the subject that most interests you at the moment and plunge in. There is a variety of vocabulary, from very basic to intermediate, so that it will appeal to students of many levels. And it can be read through several times, each time reinforcing the words you already know and picking up new ones. The Spanish in this book is that which is spoken in Mexico and frequently in the United States. This is not pure Castilian Spanish. It is however, the most widely spoken and understood in the U.S. For people living in North America the Spanish that you get a chance to speak and understand, almost daily, is American Spanish.
Learning a little Spanish will make a big difference in how much you enjoy your time in Mexico or anywhere in Latin America. You will make lots of friends among the people even if your efforts are less than perfect. As you learn new words, use them every chance you get so that they will become part of your permanent vocabulary.

Learning Spanish can be a real adventure and a lot of fun. It doesn't have to be a lot of work. I hope you enjoy it.