Horrible Words

A Guide to the Misuse of English

Rebecca Gowers

$27.99

Paperback

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English

Particular Books
18 April 2017

Language: history & general works; Philosophy of language; Reference; Slang & dialect humour

A brilliant history and witty guide to the English language, masquerading as mischievous advice on its misuse and abuse

Nothing enflames the language gripers like a misplaced disinterested, an illogical irregardless, a hideous operationalisation. To a purist these are 'howlers' and 'non-words', fit only for scorn. But in their rush to condemn such terms, are the nay-sayers missing something? In this provocative and hugely entertaining book, Rebecca Gowers throws light on a vast 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.

By: Rebecca Gowers
Imprint: Particular Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 13mm
Weight: 168g
ISBN: 9780141978970
ISBN 10: 014197897X
Pages: 208
Publication Date: 18 April 2017
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

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.

Reviews for Horrible Words: A Guide to the Misuse of English

A great delight -- David Crystal Gowers is fierce, funny and staggeringly well informed -- Alan Connor * Mail on Sunday * Stuffed with entertaining detail ... Horrible Words is lively, provocative, witty and enlightening * The Times * Exuberant and stimulating ... erudite, informative and fun * Financial Times * Witty ... wry ... As a heretic, Gowers cuts a formidable figure * The Times Literary Supplement * A very useful book, packed with good historical sense -- Lynne Truss * The Times * A joy - informative and irreverent -- Caroline Taggart Witty and erudite ... A splendid antidote to small-minded pedantry -- Robbie Millen * The Times * Will have you enraptured by etymology ... Hugely enjoyable * Reader's Digest *