A Man of My Words: Reflections on the English Language

Be the first to write a review
Marketplace (New and Used)
Hardcover
from
$2.99
$25.00 List Price (Save 88%)
Usually ships in 1-2 business days
All (2)  
Used (1)  
New (1)  
Close
Sort by
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
$2.99
(Save 50%)
Jitterbook
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(1387)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good
2003 Hardcover Good

Ships from: Campbell, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
$4.71
(Save 21%)
Jitterbook
Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(1387)

Condition: New
2003 Hardcover New Publisher overstock.

Ships from: Campbell, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

  • •Canadian
  • •International
  • •Standard, 48 States
  • •Standard (AK, HI)
  • •Express, 48 States
  • •Express (AK, HI)
Page 1 of 1
Showing All
Close
Sort by

Overview

Popular author and speaker Richard Lederer is one of the foremost and funniest commentators on the pleasures and quirks of the English language. In this far-ranging collection of essays, Lederer offers readers more of the irrepressible wordplay and linguistic high jinks his fans can't get enough of, along with observations on a life in letters. From an inner-city classroom to a wordy weekend retreat, from centuries-old etymological legacies to the latest in slang, dialects, and fadspeak, these essays transport, inform, and entertain as only Richard Lederer can.

Keen-eared and good-humored, A Man of My Words is sure to take its place next to Anguished ...

See more details below
Note: This is a bargain book and quantities are limited. Bargain books are new but may have slight markings from the publisher and/or stickers showing their discounted price. More about bargain books
Sending request ...

More About This Book

Overview

Popular author and speaker Richard Lederer is one of the foremost and funniest commentators on the pleasures and quirks of the English language. In this far-ranging collection of essays, Lederer offers readers more of the irrepressible wordplay and linguistic high jinks his fans can't get enough of, along with observations on a life in letters. From an inner-city classroom to a wordy weekend retreat, from centuries-old etymological legacies to the latest in slang, dialects, and fadspeak, these essays transport, inform, and entertain as only Richard Lederer can.

Keen-eared and good-humored, A Man of My Words is sure to take its place next to Anguished English and The Miracle of Language as one of Richard Lederer's most popular and enduring works.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly
William Safire has sparked many word debates, but also burning brightly is 65-year-old word detective and language lecturer Lederer (Anguished English, etc.). Self-labeled Attila the Pun and Conan the Grammarian, he reaches a million readers with his syndicated "Looking at Language" column. His columns have been slightly rewritten to spice up this clever collection, an appetizing antipasto that fishes for pungent puns. Topics range from split infinitives to political correctness, from word play to letter play: "TWENTY-NINE is spelled with letters made of lines only-twenty-nine of them, to be exact." He begins with American and Britspeak divergences ("Colour by Technicolor") and words substituted in Cockney rhyming slang: "D'ye 'ear me, or are ye Mutt and Jeff? = Do you hear me, or are you deaf?" These subjects and several others are posed as games and quizzes. Listing words with Native American origins (apossoun = opossum), he moves on to accents, bilingual puns, circus argot, long and short words, the origin of OK, poker parlance, pop culture catchphrases ("Isn't that special?") and Southernisms. One amusing piece is totally written in the cliches of "fadspeak": "Do the math. Get used to it.... It's a done deal because I've got a full plate, and I bring a lot to the table." Actually, Lederer does bring a lot to the table, joking and gagging up a total of 45 essays, mostly entertaining but best digested in small portions. (Dec.) FYI: Also in December is a reissue of Lederer's The Cunning Linguist (Griffin), so expect double promotions and double entendres. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
Library Journal
Columnist, prolific language humorist, and radio-show host Lederer offers over 40 brief essays that illuminate wide-ranging aspects of the English language. The essays mix puns, anecdotes, poems, quotations, and six word games with serious discussion of grammar and literary history. These creative essays demonstrate and delight in the complex nature of language and linguistic change. In one game, for instance, readers identify names of movie stars from clues, which are puns. Elsewhere, Lederer rebuts journalist Jesse Sheidlower, insisting upon the correct pronunciation of the word nuclear, and takes Ann Landers to task for tolerating certain grammatical or spelling errors. Yet in the essay "Conan the Grammarian," Lederer amusingly debunks traditional "rules" regarding ending a sentence with a preposition or splitting infinitives. A unique, skillful combination of humor and substance, this compilation is recommended for public and academic libraries.-Marianne Orme, Des Plaines P.L., IL Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

  • ISBN-13: 9780641933783
  • Publisher: St. Martin's Press
  • Publication date: 12/9/2003
  • Pages: 304
  • Product dimensions: 5.90 (w) x 8.60 (h) x 1.00 (d)

Meet the Author

Richard Lederer is the author of more than thirty books on the English language, including Anguished English, which is one of the best-selling language humor books in print. His syndicated column, "Looking at Language," appears in newspapers and magazines nationwide, and he co-hosts a weekly show on San Diego and Wisconsin public radio. He lives with his wife Simone in San Diego.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction: Confessions of a Verbivore 1
A Celebration of English
Our Abounding English Language 9
Doing a Number on English 13
Oys and Joys 17
A Guide to Britspeak, A to Zed 27
This American Language
A Declaration of Linguistic Independence 39
Talking Turkey 45
All-American Dialects 49
Slang as It Is Slung 61
Farewell to the Okay Man 65
The Circus of Words 69
Stamp Out Fadspeak! 73
Like, Where Is Our Language Going? 77
A Noo-Kyuh-lur Nonproliferation Treatise 81
Getting the Word Out
Writing Is ... 87
How I Write 89
A Wordy Weekend 93
Plane Talk 101
Radio Days 105
The Collide-o-Scope of Language
How Wise Is Proverbial Wisdom? 117
Words That Never Stray 121
The Long and the Short of It 125
Our Uppity English Language 131
Real-Life Linguistics 133
The Holy Grail of Letter Play 145
The Romance of Words
Etymological Snapshots 153
Haunted Words 159
My Kids the Poker Players 167
A Matter of Political Correctness 173
It's a Punderful Life
Jest for the Pun of It 179
Pun Your Way to Success 185
A Bilingual Pun Is Twice the Fun 191
Face the Music 197
The Name Is the Game 201
"... And Gladly Teach"
Teachers Change Lives 207
Teaching in Ghettoburg 213
Happy Media 225
English with a Russian Dressing 235
The Glamour of Grammar
Conan the Grammarian 243
Sex and the Singular Pronoun 255
An Open Letter to Ann Landers 259
Under a Spell 263
I Before E, Except ...? 271
Fairly Familiar Phrases 275
Tools of the Trade 277
Answers to Games and Quizzes 283

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identiy on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

We're sorry, but penname is already taken.

Please select one of the following:
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously

penname is available!

By visiting the BN.com website or marking a purchase on BN.com, a User is deemed to have accepted the Terms of Use.

Continue Anonymously

Welcome, penname

You have successfully created your Pen Name. Start enjoying the benefits of the BN.com Community today.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble
Why is this product inappropriate?
Comments (optional)
500 character limit