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June Casagrande

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite Paperback – March 28, 2006

by June Casagrande (Author)

4.6 106 ratings

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What do suicidal pandas, doped-up rock stars, and a naked Pamela Anderson have in common? They’re all a heck of a lot more interesting than reading about predicate nominatives and hyphens. June Casagrande knows this and has invented a whole new twist on the grammar book. Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies is a laugh-out-loud funny collection of anecdotes and essays on grammar and punctuation, as well as hilarious critiques of the self-appointed language experts.

Chapters include:

I’m Writing This While Naked—The Oh-So Steamy Predicate Nominative
Semicolonoscopy—Colons, Semicolons, Dashes, and Other Probing Annoyances
I’ll Take "I Feel Like a Moron" for $200, Alex—When to Put Punctuation Inside Quotation Marks
Snobbery Up with Which You Should Not Put Up—Prepositions
Is That a Dangler in Your Memo or Are You Just Glad to See Me?
Hyphens—Life-Sucking, Mom-and-Apple-Pie-Hating, Mime-Loving, Nerd-Fight-Inciting Daggers of the Damned

Casagrande delivers practical and fun language lessons not found anywhere else, demystifying the subject and taking it back from the snobs. In short, it’s a grammar book people will actually want to read—just for the fun of it.

Print length

224 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Penguin Books
Publication date

March 28, 2006
Dimensions

0.57 x 5 x 7.15 inches
ISBN-10

0143036831
ISBN-13

978-0143036838
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hoping to make grammar both accessible and amusing, Casagrande offers practical and entertaining lessons on common uses and unfortunate abuses of the English language. The author, a southern California newspaper columnist, memorably delineates "who" and "whom"; "can" and "may"; "affect" and "effect"; and provides pithy primers on the perennially problematic dark alleys of language (subjunctives, how to use punctuation marks around quoted material, possessive gerunds). In brief, cleverly titled sections, she addresses a slew of grammar and punctuation questions: "To Boldly Blow" examines the issue of split infinitives, "Snobbery Up With Which You Should Not Put" tackles prepositions and "Is That a Dangler in Your Memo or Are You Just Glad to See Me?" pokes fun at dangling modifiers and the confusion they create. By also touching on e-mail and text messaging, where traditional rules are commonly ignored, Casagrande keeps the discussion current. She maintains her sass and her sense of humor throughout, at one point calling the hyphen "a nasty, tricky, evil little mark that gets its kicks igniting arguments...the Bill Maher of punctuation." Readers intimidated by style manuals and Lynne Truss will enjoy this populist grammar reference.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The author of a grammar column for L.A. community newspapers, Casagrande brings a lively approach to her overview of basic grammar. Sensing that people are intimidated by grammar, she uses humor to promote her down-to-earth approach to the topic, labeling grammatical purists as snobs and bullies. In short, pithily titled chapters, she addresses common grammar problems, pointing out, for example, the distinction between who and whom in "For Whom the Snob Trolls," explaining the split infinitive in "To Boldly Blow," and discussing prepositions at the end of sentences in "Snobbery Up with Which You Should Not Put." She is most helpful when addressing the language shortcuts taken in text messaging and e-mail, topics that have not yet been fully addressed in traditional style manuals. Speaking of which, she gets in her fair share of jabs at The Chicago Manual of Style in the particularly funny chapter "The Kids Are All Wrong," devoted to rock-music-related language issues. Both sassy and edifying, Casagrande's little tome will be especially useful to those in search of basic grammar instruction. Joanne Wilkinson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin Books; 2/26/06 edition (March 28, 2006)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0143036831
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0143036838
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 5.4 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.57 x 5 x 7.15 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #451,892 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #430 in Words, Language & Grammar Reference
- #444 in Grammar Reference (Books)
- #860 in Writing Skill Reference (Books)

Customer Reviews:
4.6 106 ratings

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June Casagrande

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June Casagrande is author of the weekly syndicated "A Word, Please" grammar column that runs in newspapers in Southern California, Florida, and Texas. She runs the GrammarUnderground.com grammar tips website. She has worked for the Los Angeles Times' community news division as a reporter, features writer, copy editor, and city editor. She currently copy edits Special Sections of the Los Angeles Times and teaches copy editing online for UC San Diego Extension.

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4.6 out of 5

106 global ratings

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Ms.

Hilarious, Entertaining, and Informative

Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2011

Verified Purchase

Finally, a grammar book for the rest of us. Although I am an editor, I am more of a grammar geek, as June would say. Due to my profession, I fall prey to grammar snobbery all the time. Part of being an editor (the part that I pride myself on) is honoring that there are many ways to write something. So-called "experts" and style guides constantly contradict each other. Editing is the art and skill of maneuvering through all of the opinions, while taking the author's style and tone into consideration, and choosing the most appropriate and effective way to communicate what the author is trying to say. It's not just all about the "rules."

In Grammar Snobs, June Casagrande makes reading about grammar rules less painful--in fact, it is downright hilarious! My personal favorite chapter is about the "steamy predicate nominative." Who knew predicate nominatives could be so sexy? (Or that reading about them could be as sensual an experience as watching Brad Pitt laze around the house in nothing but a towel?)

Casagrande made me laugh out loud several times while I read this book. Her skill in connecting with the reader from the very beginning of the book is the hook. She also pokes fun at her colleagues--such as Lynn Truss--from the very beginning, which is pretty funny to read, especially for those who have read (or faked reading) Truss' book on punctuation, Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

I would most definitely recommend this grammar guide to anyone. Period. From high school English students to experienced editors to grant writers to published authors, this book is guaranteed to answer questions that plague English speakers and writers...while making them giggle in the process.

3 people found this helpful

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William Jeske

Confessions of an Ersatz Grammarian

Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2011

Verified Purchase

For all I knew and cared about grammar, style, punctuation and syntax, Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" was all I needed to write well enough. Journalism school introduced me to the "AP Stylebook," which complemented S&W and so I figured my usage library was complete...enough.
But for too long I'd written grammatically acceptable sentences more out of feeling than out of confidence. I could use "whom" and "who" correctly with my only explanation for using either would be, "It just sounded better." Ask me to explain arcane grammar jargon like what is a "past participle," "conjugated verb" or "subject and object nouns," I'd be at a loss.
I'd have dismissed Cassagrande's book as another irritating and patronizing grammar guide if not for the humorous title. On a whim I rented the audiobook, listened during my commute and immediately found her writing style approachable and engaging without getting the feeling like I was in a junior high remedial language class. She's occasionally self-deprecating yet also confident in her knowledge and even shares tips on verbal judo with arrogant, needling grammarians.
Though I still fumble to explain to a copy editor why in some sentences a hyphen was omitted or why I become hostile at the suggestion that using "once again" or "whether or not" might improve a story, I feel gratified that Cassagrande--a columnist and recovering editor--feels the same as I and would sooner reach for a usage book to prove a point than to argue.

3 people found this helpful

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PilotX

They are annoyed and distracted with dangling modifiers like they are dangling ...

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2016

Verified Purchase

I got this book as a recommendation from my writing and rhetoric professor. This book is hilarious. There are those out there that have pet peeves of others speaking improperly. They are annoyed and distracted with dangling modifiers like they are dangling boogers, it's just hard to ignore them. Whoever or whomever is one of those them or they, I am equally peeved by your peeve. I often hear corrections made that are indeed themselves false. In reality who cares (whomever cares)... This book is fun because you can learn the real usage then if you're ever corrected you can spend the next extended waste of time arguing, but be careful arguing with a stupid person, they will bring you down to their level and beat you with experience. (grammatical errors inserted purposefully)

In an ironic twist of my dog ate my homework, this book did not come as pictured it really was my pup trying to learn with me.

8 people found this helpful

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Explorer

FUN, FUN BOOK!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on April 3, 2010

Verified Purchase

I listen to quite a bit of audio books when I am behind the wheel and sometimes the books can be a bit boring. Not this audio book! Fun listen.

Besides having a laugh while listening to the authors stories you're also brushing up on your grammar skills. Learning that the rules are forever changing and that most of the time chances are you the writer or speaker are right.

One of the reasons I enjoyed it is because in my head I was able to stick it to those annoying people I've referred to as the "grammar police" or what the author called the "grammar snobs" who feel the need to correct or "one up" on others. I am related to a few of those and if I were inclined I would send them this book but I am sure the significance of it would go over their heads.

Anyway, it is a good book where it will either reinforce what you already know/knew or teach you something you did not know in a fun way.

Highly recommend!

Helpful

James T. Whitehead

Grammar snobs beware!

Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2007

Verified Purchase

I'm not an English major or teacher, but an engineer who occasionally writes technical and marketing literature. Although I've always had a keen grasp of tricky English rules and exceptions, at times I still fumble with such details as "which" vs. "that" and "three" vs. "3". I thought this book was hilarious and a fun way to learn the tricky rules. I usually have a very short attention span when reading any type of rule book. However, June's short and humorous chapters made this book easy to read. Besides the definite grammar rules, the best thing I got from this book is learning that, in many cases, there are no definite rules. The major sources of English reference disagree with each other, and the rules change over time. This quickly put my mind at ease as I often thought I was going crazy when reading different writing styles. I highly recommend this book for anyone who does any kind of writing for a living.

19 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Reika

Alright

Reviewed in Germany on July 29, 2020

Verified Purchase

Considering how much she complains about other people being grammar meanies, her writing in this book is sometimes rather mean too. The book contains a few useful tips but her next book, "It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences", is far better and more useful. If you've already bought that, you don't need this one.

Amazon Customer

This book' is a joy to read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 14, 2015

Verified Purchase

This book' is a joy to read. She takes on the critics and gives lots of encouragement for neophytes to carry on with learning grammar and Punctuation.

Amazon Customer

A good book

Reviewed in India on January 9, 2019

Verified Purchase

It's a good book.

N. C. Beccaria

Back to basics

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 24, 2016

Verified Purchase

Well, if your looking for easy to understand explanations for grammar rules and permission to make mistakes, you may find that here. That is if you can untangle it from the web from which each point gets presented. I could not.

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