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    Anguished English
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    Anguished English
    Unavailable
    Anguished English
    Ebook130 pages1 hour

    Anguished English

    By Richard Lederer

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    Anguished English is the impossibly funny anthology of accidental assaults upon our common language. From bloopers and blunders to Signs of the Times to Mixed-Up Metaphors . . . from Two-Headed Headlines to Mangling Modifiers . . . it's a collection that will leave you roaring with delight and laughter.

    Help wanteds:
    Wanted: Unmarried girls to pick fresh fruit and produce at night.Two-Headed Headlines: Grandmother of eight makes hole in one! Doctor testifies in horse suit.Modern-Day Malapropisms: I suffer from a deviant septum.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGibbs Smith
    Release dateApr 19, 2006
    ISBN9781423608912
    Unavailable
    Anguished English
    Author

    Richard Lederer

    Richard Lederer is the author of more than 30 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current book, Presidential Trivia. He has been profiled in magazines as diverse as The New Yorker, People, and the National Enquirer and frequently appears on radio as a commentator on language. Dr. Lederer's syndicated column, "Looking at Language," appears in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States. He has been named International Punster of the Year and Toastmasters International's Golden Gavel winner.

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    Reviews for Anguished English

    4/5

    177 ratings9 reviews

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    • 4/5
      First published in 1987, Lederer chronicles the many and various ways in which the English language has been abused, misused and generally massacred. I first read it years ago but in the rereading now, I would say it holds up pretty well. There are parts that are truly laugh-out-loud hilarious. Some are familiar because they are famous (think Yogi Berra-isms); others are just plain priceless.Want some examples?From student bloopers in essays:- (reversing a g and a q): "When a boy and a girl are deeply I love, there is no quilt felt between them."- "In 1957, Eugene O'Neill won a Pullet Surprise"- "Necessity is the mother of convention."- "Writing at the same time as Shakespeare was Miguel Cervantes. He wrote Donkey Hote. The next great author was John Milton. Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Then his wife died and he wrote Paradise Regained."From Modern Day Malapropisms:- "He is a wealthy typhoon."- "They call it PMS - Pre-Minstrel Syndrome."- "I wish someone would make a decision around here. I am tired of just hanging around in libido."From Mixed-up Metaphors:- "I'm not going to be side-tracked into a tangent."- "Let's hope that Steve Carlton gets his curve ball straightened out."- "It's time to grab the bull by the tail and look it in the eye."From Lost in Translation:- "Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are best in the long run"- (sign in Majorcan shop entrance): "English well talking" and "Here Speeching American."From Laffing at Misspellings:- "Many people believe he was a Satin worshipper."- "Today's special: barely soup"- "Drop your ballet in the ballet box."~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~I love stuff like this. I will admit to owning several other books by Lederer, who is nothing if not prolific, though goodness knows, there seems to be a never-ending supply of examples to draw from!
    • 3/5
      The examples of mixed-up diction are funny; Lederer's hammy introductions to each chapter are not.
    • 4/5
      Hilarious, and what's more, consistently hilarious. My high school English teacher and I bonded over this book.
    • 4/5
      This is a FUNNY book. I've read it, over the years, a few times.
    • 3/5
      While amusing, if ingested in a short period of time, it may cause the reader anguish.
    • 4/5
      I have had this book for years and can't say how many times I've read it, but it's a lot. Possibly the only book that makes me laugh out loud while reading it.
    • 3/5
      The examples of mixed-up diction are funny; Lederer's hammy introductions to each chapter are not.
    • 5/5
      Personally, the best of the collection of bad, but funny grammar mistakes. I never tire reading this book over and over again. A must own for anyone, not just grammar experts (I'm sure this review certainly shows that I am not one).
    • 5/5
      Without question, one of the funniest books ever written.