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Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue Is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice Is Done (Paperback)

~ (Author), Francine Prose (Author) "... or should that be "Who Cares?..." (more)
Key Phrases: Word Court, The American Heritage Dictionary, United States (more...)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
Price: $20.00 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Customers buy this book with Lapsing Into a Comma : A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--and How to Avoid Them by Bill Walsh

Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue Is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice Is Done + Lapsing Into a Comma : A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--and How to Avoid Them
Price For Both: $31.53

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Do you find the errors on a menu before the waiter has a chance to recite the specials? Is "Your call will be answered in the order in which it was received" as grating to you as fingernails on a blackboard? Would you cringe if an advertisement for your child's school promised a "low teacher-to-student ratio"? If so, Barbara Wallraff's Word Court is a book without which you cannot live. For seasoned wordsmiths, books about language can entertain; on occasion they may also enlighten. But rare is the book such as this that can teach an old pro so many new tricks, and in such a delightful manner. If you are a reader of Wallraff's "Word Court" column for The Atlantic Monthly, you will have already seen much of what is included here. If not, caveat lector: Though there is an index, this book is arranged in such a way that one may well find oneself reading the proverbial "one more page" long into the night.

"What I know about language," says Wallraff, "derives chiefly from my having edited, line by line and word by word, other people's writing over the past two decades." In Word Court, Wallraff addresses changes in the language, questions of grammar, issues concerning specific words and phrases, and a bunch of other, uncategorizable linguistic concerns. She recommends rewriting in order to avoid problems ("recast, recast"), treading carefully when you don't want controversial word use to obscure your point, and forgiving significant others "for any lapse of grammar committed in a bathrobe, before the coffee is ready." This book is delicious. And I'll bet your first-edition Fowler that Wallraff even introduces a few issues you may never have considered (perhaps the exceptional which, "picnic's grandmother" constructions, or those rare instances in which a sentence's two grammatically independent clauses should not--I repeat, not--be separated by a comma). --Jane Steinberg --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.



From Library Journal

Here are two new books by well-known columnists/language mavens. Safire is funny, thought-provoking, and, after 20 years of writing columns for the New York Times Magazine, an American institution. Gathering these columns and including many letters from readers, his book focuses on the way our language was used historically and how it is used now. The columns are clever and highly readable, and some of the letters from readers are just as much fun. Wallraff has been writing her witty column for The Atlantic Monthly for many years. Partly a style and usage manual that will be valuable for reference and on the corner of a writing desk, this book is also a written lecture by a great English teacher. Safire and Wallraff cover some of the same ground and sometimes differ, one notable example being the use of the article an before words that start with h such as historian. The best part of these books is, in most instances, that the "right" usage is not as important as reading about how the authors formed their opinions. Safire may have a slight edge owing to name recognition, but both books will put smiles on many a reader's face.ALisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., WI
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

  • Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Harvest Books (August 7, 2001)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0156011182
  • ISBN-13: 978-0156011181
  • Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #436,278 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Barbara Wallraff
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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... or should that be "Who Cares?" Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Word Court, The American Heritage Dictionary, United States, Modern English Usage, President Clinton, George Washington, Say No More, The New Fowler, World Wide Web, Oxford English Dictionary, The Careful Writer, Albert Camus, Karl Jaspers, National Public Radio, Ralph Waldo Emerson, American English, Cokie Roberts, Harry Harrison, Sir Ernest Gowers, John Maynard Keynes, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, Second Amendment, The Complete Plain Words, The Reader Over Your Shoulder, Unquestioned Answers
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Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue Is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice Is Done
83% buy the item featured on this page:
Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue Is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice Is Done 4.7 out of 5 stars (18)
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Lapsing Into a Comma : A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--and How to Avoid Them 4.2 out of 5 stars (31)
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Word Fugitives: In Pursuit of Wanted Words 4.9 out of 5 stars (7)
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Customer Reviews

18 Reviews
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4.7 out of 5 stars (18 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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73 of 73 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars I Plead Guilty to Enjoying This Book Immensely, January 13, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Word Court: Wherein verbal virtue is rewarded, crimes against the language are punished, and poetic justice is done (Hardcover)
Seriously, though: this book is the best I've seen come along in recent years on the subject of English language and usage. It's also a lot of fun to read. As someone who cares deeply about "getting it down right," it's a great relief to know there are people out there whose job it is to pay attention to how our language is evolving (or not), especially in this age of computerese and political correctness. Wallraff manages to impart a wealth of useful information with a light, witty touch. She seems to answer almost every frustrating question I've ever had about English. Word Court is essential if your craft is writing, or even if you merely enjoy thinking about language. The book has earned a spot on my shelf, right next to the old classics like Fowler and Strunk & White. I highly recommend it.
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73 of 77 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Word Court, January 26, 2000
By Carl B. Tisch MD (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Word Court: Wherein verbal virtue is rewarded, crimes against the language are punished, and poetic justice is done (Hardcover)
I have been an ardent afficiando of the English language for many decades and have a large, though incomplete library of books on the subject. Based on its description, I had to order this one. It arrived and, to my surprise, I am reading it as I might any other book rather than using it only as a reference. It is helpful, full of great information and points-of-view. I cannot praise it enough. It is a major contribution to the subject and absolutely delightful, as well. Barbara Wallraff need not take a back seat to Fowler, on that account.
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36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book!, January 6, 2000
By Toby Lester (Belmont, MA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Word Court: Wherein verbal virtue is rewarded, crimes against the language are punished, and poetic justice is done (Hardcover)
I'm an avid collector of language-reference books, and use them for both professional and personal purposes. This is one of the best I've found. It's fun to read (a rare characteristic in this genre) but is also terrifically informative. In addition to covering all sorts of routine questions about grammar and usage, it also offers advice on topics that nobody else seems to address. For example, where else can you find out whether temperatures may be "cold" or must be "low"? This is a book that's definitely worth having on one's desk -- and at one's bedside!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Chicken soup for the grammar geek soul.
Barbara Wallraff, Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue Is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice Is Done (Harcourt, 2000)

I am a grammar... Read more
Published 22 months ago by Robert P. Beveridge

5.0 out of 5 stars Authoritative and amusing - a great combination
Grammar can be deadly. This is not grammar but usage, the way we write, what it says about us, how to say it better. Read more
Published on July 29, 2002 by ragrant4

5.0 out of 5 stars Lively language
I first saw this book in paperback and was tempted to buy it. But when I realized that it was more than a read-once, in fact a reference book, I ordered the hardback - a terrific... Read more
Published on January 31, 2002

2.0 out of 5 stars Entertaning, but not terribly helpful
I bought this book with high expectations after having hearing the author on National Public Radio. I thought that it would highlight the degredation of the English language; I... Read more
Published on December 30, 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it - you'll like it!
I'm a big fan of the author's column in The Atlantic, and so for me reading this book was like eating salted peanuts: I just kept reading one more question-and-answer, and then... Read more
Published on January 18, 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Word Court is great!
I bought Word Court several months ago, and now I'm not sure how I got along before I had it. It's true that this book doesn't give you radically different advice from other usage... Read more
Published on January 18, 2001

3.0 out of 5 stars definitely okay, but not worth buying
Nothing new here. Nothing particular to ponder over. Nothing that Elements of Style, Words into Type, and Webster's New Collegiate can't do for you, and a lot better. Read more
Published on January 15, 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars fun, Fun and MORE FUN!
This is the kind of grammar/usage book that one can sink his fangs into with pure appetite and eat until bloated. Read more
Published on October 26, 2000 by Dennis Littrell

5.0 out of 5 stars You couldn't ask for anything more.
What could be more fun to a proofreader and freelance editor than reading an engaging, enjoyable, enlightening, entertaining, n-th degree perfect book on the proper use of our... Read more
Published on May 15, 2000 by 22charlie

5.0 out of 5 stars A small treasure, by fermed
If you care about words, spend a few dollars on this little treasure of pleasures. Ms. Wallraff (ah, such a name) is gentle and patient; she is tolerant and easy; her judgments... Read more
Published on April 16, 2000 by Fernando Melendez

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