Horrible Words
A Guide to the Misuse of English
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
Nothing inflames the language gripers like a misplaced disinterested, an illogical irregardless, a hideous operationalisation. To purists these are 'howlers' and 'non-words', fit only for scorn. But in their rush to condemn such terms, are the naysayers missing something?
In this provocative and hugely entertaining book, Rebecca Gowers throws light on a great array of horrible words, and shows how the diktats of the pedants are repeatedly based on misinformation, false reasoning and straight-up snobbery. The result is a brilliant work of history, a surreptitious introduction to linguistics, and a mischievous salute to the misusers of the language. It is also a bold manifesto asserting our common rights over English, even as it questions the true nature of style.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gowers (The Twisted Heart) presents a brief, witty primer that will charm, or frustrate, language mavens and grammar gurus. The book's subtitle gives a hint of her subversive agenda. Far from condemning this "misuse," the book is a kind of tongue-in-cheek how-to for misusing English and annoying the usage "gripers." Playing off such books as A.P. Herbert's What a Word!, Gowers first looks at phrasal verbs ("fess up"), past tenses ("snuck" vs "sneaked"), and the use of "-ize" or "-ise" to create new verbs at will (for example, "Coventrise," to destroy by aerial bombardment). Part two considers registers slang, fancy language, and monosyllables, among others. Gower's point is that it is through such "horrible words" that languages grow. The English language, she concludes, "is as much yours as it is anyone's; it is one of the wonders of the world and it is free. If you choose to, you can play your part with style." Elegantly written, chock-full of etymological curiosities, and often laugh-out-loud funny, Gowers's book is a delight.
