Word Up! [Mass Market Paperback]

Rob Kyff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 059512478X | ISBN-13: 978-0595124787 | Publication Date: September 1, 2000

If youre fascinated by words and language, youll revel in Word Up! A Lively Look at English by Rob Kyff a.k.a. The Word Guy. Drawn from Kyff's nationally syndicated column on language, this spirited book treats readers to a zesty verbal smorgasbord: handy tips on good writing and usage, fascinating stories behind word and phrase origins, whimsical word play and linguistic oddities. With wit and warmth, Word Up! explores everything from the split infinitive controversy to apostrophe catastrophes to the true etymology of hooker. Each chapter concludes with a quiz that gives you a chance to test your word knowledge. A blend of William Safire and Dave Barry, Word Up! combines learning and laughter in ways that will surprise and delight you.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Rob Kyffs nationally syndicated column, The Word Guy appears in scores of newspapers, including The Detroit Free Press, The San Jose Mercury News, The Memphis Commercial Appeal and The Hartford Courant. A graduate of Amherst College, Kyff has taught English and history at Kingswood-Oxford School for more than 20 years. He lives in West Hartford, Connecticut.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (September 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059512478X
• ISBN-13: 978-0595124787
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,579,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lively look at word usage!, December 3, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Word Up! (Mass Market Paperback)

I just finished WORD UP! A LIVELY LOOK AT ENGLISH by rob kyff, aka "the word guy" . . . I've long enjoyed kyff's columns in my local paper; in addition, I had the pleasure of interviewing him on a radio show I once hosted . . . so it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to this book . . . and I was not disappointed! . . . I never thought grammar could be both interesting and funny, but it is here . . . I particulalry liked the quizzes at the end of each chapter that give you a chance to test your word knowledge.

There's much useful advice contained in the 183 too-brief pages . . . However, my favorite part dealt with: eight rules you can break . . . to cite just two:

Never split an infinitive Generally you should refrain from splitting an infinitive when doing so causes confusion or awkward rhythm. for instead, instead of writing, "It is sometimes wrong to completely, absolutely and totally separate a verb from to," you should write, "It is sometimes wrong to separate a verb completely, absolutely and totally from to."

Never end a sentence with a preposition In some sentences, we actually do want to emphasize the final preposition as in, "He doesn't know what a turn signal is for," or "She didn't realize what this was all about."

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great fun this one!, March 9, 2001

By 

Robert A. Fliegel (St. Augustine, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Word Up! (Mass Market Paperback)

I never miss Rob's column in the St. Augustine Record. He's fast becoming today's John Ciardi, and he could easily go a few rounds with word mavens Bill Safire and James J. Kilpatrick. Etymology is always lots of fun, and Rob gives that subject the long shrift it deserves. I especially enjoyed the short quizzes sprinkled throughout the text. Buy this one!