Mind the Gaffe!: A Troubleshooter's Guide to English Style and Usage

Lecturer In Linguistics R L Trask

ISBN 10: 0061132209 / ISBN 13: 9780061132209

Published by HarperCollins Publishers Inc, 2006

About this Item

A linguist with attitude, R. L. Trask was a steadfast soldier in the never-ending War of Words, fighting the good fight for standard written English. Revered for its insight and legendary for its "cheek," Trask's Mind the Gaffe! is an indispensable guidebook for wordsmiths and language mavens of every stripe, providing safe passage through the ubiquitous minefields of improper usage. Artiste: This pretentious word . . . commonly means "fraud pretending to be an artist." Don't use it unless you mean to be insulting. Amoral, Immoral: An amoral person is one who does not know the difference between right and wrong. An immoral person knows the difference but does wrong anyway. Reaction: A reaction is a sudden and spontaneous response to a stimulus, such as jumping, shrieking, or fainting. The word is not properly used as a fancy word for any kind of considered response. If you circulate a policy document, you can ask others for their opinions, or for their criticisms, but do not ask them for their reactions unless you hope to hear responses like "I burst into uncontrollable laughter.".

Seller Inventory # CIN0061132209VG

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Mind the Gaffe!: A Troubleshooter's Guide to English Style and Usage
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
• Publication Date: 2006
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0061132209
• ISBN 13: 9780061132209
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: Very Good

About this title

Synopsis

A linguist with attitude, R. L. Trask was a steadfast soldier in the never-ending War of Words, fighting the good fight for standard written English. Revered for its insight and legendary for its "cheek," Trask's Mind the Gaffe! is an indispensable guidebook for wordsmiths and language mavens of every stripe, providing safe passage through the ubiquitous minefields of improper usage.

• Artiste: This pretentious word . . . commonly means "fraud pretending to be an artist." Don't use it unless you mean to be insulting.

• Amoral, Immoral: An amoral person is one who does not know the difference between right and wrong. An immoral person knows the difference but does wrong anyway.

• Reaction: A reaction is a sudden and spontaneous response to a stimulus, such as jumping, shrieking, or fainting. The word is not properly used as a fancy word for any kind of considered response. If you circulate a policy document, you can ask others for their opinions, or for their criticisms, but do not ask them for their reactions unless you hope to hear responses like "I burst into uncontrollable laughter."

About the Author

One of the most celebrated linguists of his time, R. L. Trask was a brilliant lecturer and the author of many popular works, including The Penguin Guide to Punctuation and The Penguin Dictionary of English Grammar. Born in New York State in 1944, he lived in England after 1970, and was Professor of Linguistics at the University of Sussex until his death in 2004.