Customer Reviews

The Grouchy Grammarian: A How-Not-To Guide to the 47 Most Common Mistakes in English Made by Journalists, Broadcasters, and Others Who Should Know Better

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4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"The Grouchy Grammarian" is not a grouchy book. Parrish's fictional curmudgeon limits his irritation to public figures and national media outlets for spreading grammatical errors and "infelicities" throughout the populace. Parrish constructively channels his alter-ego's concerns, and the result is enlightening rather than chastening. Among usage guides, this one is particularly helpful for three reasons:
1) Each topic is covered in a short chapter, and each chapter ends with a summary so you can learn a lot quickly.
2) Parrish includes a thorough index, and a thoughtful annotated bibliography of guides to language, writing and usage.
3) Parrish clearly explains why usage glitches are glitches. Now that I understand what NOT to do, I don't have to laboriously memorize rules about what to do. Rote memorization of grammar rules never worked for me--I resemble the student in "Up the Down Staircase" who complains that "semicolons don't stick to my head."
I wish all people who worry about "weak", "watery" assaults upon English had mediators like Parrish to absorb their ire and deftly convey their championship and knowledge of precise language.

In "The Grouchy Grammarian," historian and long-time editor Thomas Parrish offers an easy-to-read, informational, entertaining and blithesome reference filled with advice on how to avoid 47 of the most common mistakes in English grammar.
Each topic is covered in a short chapter with a handy summary at the end for quick check-ups, and each is humorously presented through the point of view of the author's alter ego, The Grouch, a clever, witty, and very opinionated fictional curmudgeon who is a self-proclaimed guardian of grammar and calls errors "infelicities to be corrected."
Not only will The Grouch teach you the rules of grammar, usage and good writing, reinforcing his point by ruthlessly citing real-life examples of grammatical gaffes, careless errors, and basic mistakes taken from the blunders of some of today's best-known newspapers, magazines, and TV broadcasts, he will also make your learning experience enjoyable by having you laugh, chuckle or at least smile at his passionate remarks and his quixotic personality.
As a bonus, for those who wish to go deeper into the subject, the book includes a vast bibliography, and a thorough index for quick consultations.
Overall, this is an excellent resource that combines narrative and reference to help you learn or review the elements of precise writing that are most often forgotten, also throwing in for good measure some general and common sense advice on writing.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar

Contrary to the title, this book is not some esoteric grammar book. It it a way to help you express your thoughts in writing and speech without redundancy or embarassing common errors. The writer is very reasonable and modern, not some old man just complaining about the demise of proper English, but someone truly attempting to help journalists, broadcatsers, and everyone avoid some of the simplest, but most common, mistakes made. You will also enjoy the humorous examples from the AP and New York Times.
P.S.: slightly short on correct examples or full explanations sometimes, but still a 5 STAR BOOK and a MUST-READ for anyone

If you've ever struggled with the proper placement of an apostrophe, or the usage of "lie" or "lay", or the difference between "compliment" and "complement", this book is for you. Most English-speaking people can't speak English. Perhaps they slept through every single English class they took. Perhaps they just don't care. It's written in a very humorous, readable style that will keep you interested rather than putting you to sleep. And with all the examples of atrocious grammatical errors, it will show people just how ridiculous they sound when they can't be bothered to get it right. Every chapter has something in it that will at least get a giggle out of you. I found it especially amusing after reading his numerous bashings of editors and proofreaders, to find that his own proofreader apparently wasn't paying too much attention on page 131. This book should be required reading for anyone who speaks English and for those that only think they do. Read it, learn it, and apply it. If it doesn't actually make you smarter, at least it will make you sound smarter.

This book purports to be a "how-not-to" guide to errors in writing and speaking, but could just as easily be written in list form. While the author highlights a number of errors we should all try to avoid, the book is short on grammar rules. In fact, chapters in which a grammar rule is stated outright are few and far between. Moreover, quite a few of the chapters are on very petty "mistakes," which other works, such as The Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage, do not treat as errors. As it is, the book comes across more as a rant against people who do not speak and write as "the grouchy grammarian" speaks and writes, and his style is seemingly quite terse.

Still, the book should be required reading for all English and journalism majors in colleges and those people already working in related fields. A good grammar book and a dictionary of English usage would be complementary.

At one point, author Thomas Parrish's persnickety friend, the grammar hawk referred to in the title, likens a well-constructed sentence to an automobile engine. Others may prefer Parrish's own analogy of a well-furnished room. Automobile engines suggest a highly specialized knowledge, something intimidating for those without vocational training. Pretty much anybody can set up a room that looks nice, however, and enjoy the results. A well-furnished room is a room that has everything one might need while seeming empty and spacious. Likewise, good prose has the feel not of something dense or impenetrable, but of something easy to apprehend quickly and digest. Parrish assumes the persona of a reasonable go-between, someone moves easily between the grammatically-challenged and the scowling figure, imagined yet feared, of the lexical inquisitor. The book is entertaining and reduces a lot of the mystery of grammatical usage. I keep a copy of it, along with my Strunk & White, right on my desk.

Who says grammar can't be fun? Tom Parrish's beautifully-written, light-hearted and easy-reading guide to frequent faux pas is a worthwhile romp through frequent gaffes in style. Parrish's engaging primer on verbal correctness is a gem.

Very particular. Sometimes I didn't understand the point the author was trying to make. I guess I need that. Good explanations.

"The Grouchy Grammarian" kept me laughing...and relearning some of the basics I seem to have forgotten. For anyone who winces when he or she hears "I shouldda went" it's a must read. Great for holiday giving and just lots of fun!

This is a great quick guide to some of the trickiest rules of English grammar. I recommend it for high school and college students and anyone who has to write in their profession!