Horrible Words: A Guide to the Misuse of English - Couverture rigide

Gowers, Rebecca

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1846148510 ISBN 13 : 9781846148514

Editeur : Particular Books, 2016

Synopsis

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.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Rebecca Gowers is the author of The Swamp of Death, shortlisted for the CWA non-fiction Golden Dagger Award, and of two novels, When to Walk and The Twisted Heart, both longlisted for the Orange Prize. She is also the most recent editor of Plain Words, the classic guide to the use of English by her great-grandfather Sir Ernest Gowers.

À propos de la quatrième de couverture

Nothing inflames the language purists like an illogical irregardless or a hideous otherization. But is it enough simply to dismiss these words as vile and barbarous howlers? Taking a genial tour far and wide through our linguistic badlands, Rebecca Gowers finds answers that are helpful, surprising and often extremely funny.

'Stuffed with entertaining detail ... Horrible Words is lively, provocative, witty and enlightening' Robbie Millen, The Times

'Exuberant, erudite, informative and fun ... a call on all English-speakers to trust their own feel for their language, to relish their verbal inventiveness and to do battle against the pedants who tell them they are wrong' Michael Skapinker, Financial Times

'A very useful book, packed with good historical sense' Lynne Truss, The Times

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Particular Books
• Date d'édition: 2016
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1846148510
• ISBN 13: 9781846148514
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 208
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible