101 American English Riddles : Understanding Language and Culture Through Humor (Paperback)

by Harry Collis (Author) "A doughnut is a fried cake shaped like a ring..." (more)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Humorous riddles with comic illustrations help ESL students gain new insights into American language and culture. Each riddle is accompanied by text that helps students grasp and master the underlying linguistic and cultural reasons why the joke is funny.

About the Author
McGraw-Hill authors represent the leading experts in their fields and are dedicated to improving the lives, careers, and interests of readers worldwide

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (February 9, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0844256064
• ISBN-13: 978-0844256061
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #505,819 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun Riddles!, November 17, 1999

By A Customer

Here's a delightful collection of American riddles and puzzles, illustrated with wonderfully quirky cartoons. 101 American English Riddleswill amuse you for hours - while giving insight into American idioms and humor. Harry Collins has arranged 101 riddles into nine sections based on the type of riddle, including: Riddles with words with more than one meaning, Riddles that trick you, Riddles that use numbers and logic, Riddles that use idioms, and more! And he has turned them over to illustrator Joe Kohl, whose eye-grabbing cartoons give you clues to the answers - or lead you astray!

You'll find help everywhere you need it, including explanations of wordplays, idioms, and culture. Where helpful, there are also dialogues or natives that show how the language in the riddle is used in everyday American English.

This book will help nonnative speakers of English improve their use of English at its most entertaining - while native speakers will enjoy seeing these favorite riddles illustrated with such wit and whimsy. 101American English Riddles will have you scratching your head in puzzlement or slapping your thigh with laughter!

4 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Only for students of English as a second language., March 29, 2001

By	John Mccann - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I can see that this book would be helpful to someone trying to learn English. A native speaker will find very little of interest here.