The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations : The Complete Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"When it comes to pronunciation," says Charles Harrington Elster, "there are two types of people: Those who don't give the subject a second thought and those who do. This book is for those who do." Those who don't will likely dismiss it as a conglomeration of minutiae (mi-N[Y]oo-shee-ee). Elster's Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations combines and expands upon his two previous books on the subject, offering historical pronunciations, authoritative opinions (his own and others'), and meandering explanations. This book is more entertaining than a game of badminton (don't say, "BAD-mitten," which Elster considers sloppy) and more lasting than a daiquiri (that's "DY-kuh-ree"). And best of all, you'll tighten up that flaccid ("FLAK-sid") pronunciation. Kudos ("KOO-dahs") to Elster for setting us straight. For now, anyway--there's a neologism ("nee-AHL-uh-jiz'm") born every day. --Jane Steinberg

From Library Journal

Contending that a laissez-faire ("rhymes with guess way there") approach to English language pronunciation is not acceptable, this appealing guide awakens readers to the sad truth that "lots of people mispronounce words every day and plenty of people notice." Host of National Public Radio's A Way with Words, Elster has expanded and extensively revised his three previous books--including There's No Zoo in Zoology--into one delightful pronunciation guide that is not just for the cognoscenti ("KAHN-yuh-SHEN-tee"). The list of words ranges from "a"--"uh (as in ago)" or "ay (as in ate)"--to "zydeco"("rhymes with try to go"), but Elster goes way beyond a simple list of correct pronunciations. His explanatory essays refer to a wide array of research and reference tools, including dictionaries, etymologies, and such guides as the NBC Handbook of Pronunciation. Some may dismiss Elster's efforts as Sisyphean ("SIS-uh-FEE-in") or his compilation too anal ("AY-nal"). But he presents his entries with such aplomb (the second syllable "rhymes with Tom or bomb") and affection for the double entendre ("DUHB'L ahn-THAN-druh") that one cannot demur ("Pronounce mur as in murder not mural").
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 426 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (January 28, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395893380
• ISBN-13: 978-0395893388
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (23 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #868,908 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It presents itself as being opinionated, and is it ever!, June 21, 1999

By A Customer

I found myself roaring with laughter one minute, with chagrin the next, and occasionally rage. Some of his favorite pronunciations I would wager have never been heard, nor spoken, west of the Mississippi. On the other hand, his preference for trauma (trawma rather than trowma) made me a friend for life. By condemning nu-cu-lar and sim-u-lar, two abominations used repeatedly by my inlaws, he gave release to thirty years of frustration that I could not afford to vent.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent reference for the serious speaker, April 27, 2000

By A Customer

I couldn't disagree more with the first reviewer from San Fran. Few disagree with standards for spelling, grammar, or definitions; why should pronunciation be any different? I don't agree with all of Elster's prescriptions, (yes, it is prescriptive-- is Webster's not?) but he gives well-presented reasons for all of his conclusions and admits when he's just being arbitrary. Just like bad spelling, improper speaking does and should separate the careful from the cloddish. The author openly says the book is intended as a guide to American pronunciation, so Brits and Cans need not be offended (e.g. it doesn't necessarily matter how Newfoundlanders pronounce Newfoundland-- they don't speak American English). Of course for those of the, "make a mistake often enough and it becomes correct" school of thought, it will be of no use.

38 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A cornupcopia of unintended humor!, September 4, 2000

By	Richard Hershberger (Maryland) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Read in the proper spirit, this is an absolutely hysterical book (in whatever sense of "hysterical" one choses). Elster's methodology is simple enough: for any given word he defers to dictionaries and pronunciation guides from the first half of the 20th century. Works from the 19th century are cited if they support his conclusion and ignored if they do not. Works from the second half of the 20th century are cited, either to support his conclusion or to decry the corruption of the language.

So far this is fairly uninteresting. The reader could simply buy an old dictionary from a used book store and get the same information. The humor comes from the justifications Elster presents. Is his favored pronunciation used by most educated people? That proves his point! Is it used by virtually no one? That proves the need for this book! If he favors an anglicized pronunciation of a borrowed word, well, we are speaking English and the foreign pronunciation is pretentious. If he favors the foreign pronunciation then only ignorant buffoons anglicize it! If a word is used in print more than in speech, and many readers phonetically (mis)pronounce it, he will chastise them for not checking in a dictionary. This is often followed by the information that the unapproved pronunciation in fact occurs in modern dictionaries. Apparently we are being chastised for not checking an *old* dictionary.

Best of all are those instances where it is his ox being gored. These are rare. Ordinarily his devotion to authority is slavish. But the few occasions are worth the search. He will go on for pages explaining how on this occasion the authorities are wrong and that in this rare case the pronunciation used by everyone (read: Elster himself) is correct. Check out his discussion of "modem" for a good example.

If you want a guide for pronunciation, buy a good dictionary. If you want a treasure trove of humorous bathroom reading, this is for you!