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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fear the grammar curmudgeon!, March 8, 2005
This review is from: The Dictionary of Disagreeable English: A Curmudgeon's Compendium of Excruciatingly Correct Grammar (Paperback)
I find the prospect of reviewing "The Dictionary of Disagreeable English: A Curmudgeon's Compendium of Excruciatingly Correct Grammar," by Robert Hartwell Fiske, intimidating. However painful it would be to be the object of his scorn, however, it's undeniably entertaining to see him take others to task. The "Dictionary" starts off with a lovely rant about "The Decline of the Dictionary," in which Mr. Fiske bemoans the fact that so many dictionaries attempt to describe current usage, incorporating incorrect grammar and spelling, rather than setting down proper usage. He rips into Merriam-Webster with a long list of examples of "inexcusably shoddy dictionary making," including the addition of "tho" as a variant spelling of "though" and the pronouncement that "flaunt" means the same as "flout" or "infer" means the same as "imply."
Most of the book consists of a dictionary of misused, misspelled, and mispronounced words. Some of them surprised me; I was a little shocked to find out that, for example, people often misuse "accelerate" in place of "exhilarate." Other entries made me cringe when I realized I'd been misusing them myself; I can't remember any examples at the moment--I suspect I've blocked them out so as to spare myself the embarrassment of having to recount them in this review.
It would be enough to have this wonderfully useful dictionary at hand. I certainly plan to keep my copy near to where I work, so I can hopefully reduce the amount of "disagreeable English" to be found in my own writing. The book is made all the more entertaining, however, through the use of boxed examples from real writers' and speakers' work, always presented with an entertaining cartoon of a frustrated or exasperated "grammar curmudgeon." The book is very recent--it was published in 2005--and it uses up-to-date examples that will appeal to the modern reader.
The only mild negative I can think of is that occasionally I wished for a little more clarification when two terms seemed very similar in meaning. The format typically consists of examples of the misusage, followed by an explanation of the differences between the words involved. Some of these entries would have benefited from further examples of the correct usage of the words in question.
This book is just plain fun for grammar curmudgeons and invaluable for those with imperfect grammar.
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29 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Precision of Language: What a wonderful idea!, November 19, 2004
This review is from: The Dictionary of Disagreeable English: A Curmudgeon's Compendium of Excruciatingly Correct Grammar (Paperback)
Robert Hartwell Fisk definitely warrants his (self-described?) label of curmudgeon; and I say that with great admiration. If you have a long list of grammatical pet peeves, his Dictionary of Disagreeable English will furnish you with an entertaining source for putting people right. If you couldn't care less about precise English, don't bother. But if you appreciate the appropriateness of "couldn't" as opposed to the ghastly "could care less" that has become so common today, then buy this book in quantity and give it to all of your friends!
It is a bit intimidating to write a review of this book, as there is the fear of provoking a mild (or worse) response from the author regarding errors within the review, however I will try. Fisk provides evidence of errors that range from common misspellings and mispronunciations to such flagrant misuse of words that their meanings are completely distorted. I was gratified to find the a number of words and phrases that rank among my linguistic pet peeves, and I was shocked to discover too many errors of my own usage.
Mr. Fisk chooses his targets carefully, with wit and sarcasm -[...]- such that you can't help but lose time moving from one entry to the next. He provides examples of each mistaken use, followed by a suggestion that would make the sentence more precise.
Interestingly enough, he does not appear to favor a return to the language of the Victorians. He readily acknowledges that English is a living language, and he even makes a few allowances for the "creative" use of words by some technical disciplines. Nonetheless he loudly denounces what I might call Dilbertarian business-speak at every opportunity. He even coins a new word of his own, "lexicographers" to refer to dictionaries and editors that are all to willing to bend to the noise of popular vocabulary, at the expense of clear communication.
Congratulations Mr. Fisk! Fight on... and fight well!
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than an ordinary distionary, March 27, 2011
This review is from: The Dictionary of Disagreeable English: A Curmudgeon's Compendium of Excruciatingly Correct Grammar (Paperback)
I had great fun checking through all the entries. I even caught myself at least ten times.
I am keeping it and sending copies to my literary friends.
Get it and enjoy!
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