Wordwatching

Wordwatching
Author: Alex Horne
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 338
Release: 2011-07-07
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0753547880

Alex Horne loves words. He loves them so much, in fact, that he's gone on a mental safari and invented some of his own ... all he needs to do now is get them into the dictionary. But, as Alex discovers, gaining entry into the official lexicon takes more than just a gentle word in the ear of the editor. Evidence is required - Alex needs what the dictionary authorities call a 'corpus' of examples, hard data showing that his new words are in widespread and long-term usage by people other than just him and his mum. So a corpus he resolves to create, no matter what obstacles he might meet on the way. This is the ridiculous story of one man's struggle to break into the dictionary. From covert word-dropping on Countdown to wilfully misinforming young schoolchildren, Alex tries it all in his quest for word-based stardom. Does he succeed? Exactly what is a 'mental safari'? And are you already using one of Alex's words without realising it? You won't regret spending your hard-earned honk on this hugely entertaining book.

Wordwatching

Wordwatching
Author: Alex Horne
Publisher: Random House
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2010-01-14
Genre: Humor
ISBN: 0753520443

Alex Horne loves words. He loves them so much, in fact, that he's decided to invent his own ... and get them into the dictionary. But, as Alex discovers, gaining entry into the official lexicon takes more than just a gentle word in the ear of the editor. Evidence is required - Alex needs proof that his words are being spoken by more people than just him and his mum. He needs what the dictionary authorities call a 'corpus' of examples, hard data showing that his new words are in widespread and long-term usage. So a corpus he resolves to create, no matter what obstacles he might meet on the way. This is the epic and ridiculous story of one man's struggle to break into the dictionary. From covert word-dropping on Countdown to wilfully misinforming schoolchildren, Alex tries it all in his quest for dictionary-based immortality. Does he succeed? Are you already using one of Alex's words without realising it? You won't regret spending your hard-earned honk on this hugely entertaining book.

Wordwatching

Wordwatching
Author: Julian Burnside
Publisher: Scribe Publications
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2013-12-05
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1922247170

A bonzer discussion of the strange pedigree of the naughty, nice, and, sometimes, obscene English language. We live in a torrent of words — from radio and television, books and newspapers, and now from the internet. But, as Julian Burnside reminds us in this new edition of the bestselling Wordwatching, words are a source of both pleasure and power, and can be deployed for good or for ill. Comprising many essays, dealing with a vast array of subjects as diverse as deadlines, fancy words, the problems with ‘issue’, odd sounds, oxymorons, and the fallacy of ‘wading in’, Wordwatching is a fascinating demonstration of the power and the pleasure of the English language. Told with Julian Burnside’s sparkling wit, it is lively, illuminating, and perfect for every book-lover.

Teaching Reading and Writing with Word Walls

Teaching Reading and Writing with Word Walls
Author: Janiel M. Wagstaff
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Total Pages: 116
Release: 1999
Genre: Education
ISBN: 9780590103909

Presents ideas for teaching children in grades K-3 phonics, spelling, and language conventions through the creation of word walls; suggestions include an ABC wall, chunking wall, words-we-know wall, and help wall.

The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time

The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time
Author: William Safire
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 450
Release: 2007-11-01
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1416587403

For the past twenty-five years Americans have relied on Pulitzer Prize-winning wordsmith William Safire for their weekly dose of linguistic illumination in The New York Times Magazine's column "On Language" -- one of the most popular features of the magazine and a Sunday-morning staple for innumerable fans. He is the most widely read writer on the English language today. Safire is the guru of contemporary vocabulary, speech, language, usage and writing. Dedicated and disputatious readers itch to pick up each column and respond to the week's linguistic wisdom with a gotcha letter to the Times. The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time marks the publication of Safire's sixteenth book on language. This collection is a classic to be read, re-read, enjoyed and fought over. Fans, critics and fellow linguists wait with bated (from the French abattre "to beat down") breath for each new anthology -- and, like its predecessors, this one is bound to satisfy and delight. Safire finds fodder for his columns in politics and current events, as well as in science, technology, entertainment and daily life. The self-proclaimed card-carrying language maven and pop grammarian is not above tackling his own linguistic blunders as he detects language trends and tracks words, phrases and clichés to their source. Scholarly, entertaining and thoughtful, Safire's critical observations about language and slanguage are at once provocative and enlightening. Safire is America's go-to guy when it comes to language, and he has included sharp and passionately opinionated letters from readers across the English-speaking world who have been unable to resist picking up a pen to put the maven himself in his place or to offer alternate interpretations, additional examples, amusing anecdotes or just props. The Right Word in the Right Place at the Right Time is a fascinating, learned and piquant look at the oddities and foibles that find their way into the English language. Exposing linguistic hooey and rigamarole and filled with Safire's trademark wisdom, this book has a place on the desk or bedside table of all who share his profound love of the English language -- as well as his penchant for asking "What does that mean?" Or, "Wassat?" This new collection is sure to delight readers, writers and word lovers everywhere and spark the interest of anyone who has ever wondered, "Where did the phrase 'brazen hussy' come from?"

The Word Detective

The Word Detective
Author: John Simpson
Publisher: Basic Books
Total Pages: 385
Release: 2016-10-25
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 0465096522

Can you drink a glass of balderdash? What do you call the part of a dog's back it can't scratch? And if, serendipitously, you find yourself in Serendip, then where exactly are you? The answers to all of these questions -- and a great many more -- can be found in the pages of the Oxford English Dictionary, the definitive record of the English language. And there is no better guide to the dictionary's many wonderments than the former chief editor of the OED, John Simpson. Simpson spent almost four decades of his life immersed in the intricacies of our language, and guides us through its history with charmingly laconic wit. In The Word Detective, an intensely personal memoir and a joyful celebration of English, he weaves a story of how words come into being (and sometimes disappear), how culture shapes the language we use, and how technology has transformed not only the way we speak and write but also how words are made. Throughout, he enlivens his narrative with lively excavations and investigations of individual words -- from deadline to online and back to 101 (yes, it's a word) -- all the while reminding us that the seemingly mundane words (can you name the four different meanings of ma?) are often the most interesting ones. But Simpson also reminds us of the limitations of language: spending his days in the OED's house of words, his family at home is forced to confront the challenges of wordlessness. A brilliant and deeply humane expedition through the world of words, The Word Detective will delight and inspire any lover of language.

The Message of the Word of God

The Message of the Word of God
Author: Tim Meadowcroft
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
Total Pages: 289
Release: 2011-11-14
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0830824146

What does the Bible say about itself? Before this question can be addressed, Tim Meadowcroft argues, we have to address the wider notion that God speaks. Accordingly, Meadowcroft offers fresh, wide-ranging expositions of key passages in both Testaments on the character and power of God's word.

The Right Word!

The Right Word!
Author: Jan Venolia
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
Total Pages: 180
Release: 2003-07-29
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 9781580085076

Every writer needs help with words: choosing them, using them, spelling them correctly. When is optimal or optimum the better choice? Why use germane when relevant is, well, more relevant? Created for just such tortuous (torturous?) situations, this handy guide provides an A-to-Z listing of troublesome, confusing words, accompanied by clear examples and explanations to help avoid common mistakes. With a discussion on getting the most out of words, a helpful resource section, humorous illustrations, and clever bits of wordplay, this compact reference is an indispensable resource. • The latest addition to Jan Venolia's Right! series, which has sold more than 600,000 copies. • With the growing influence of email and other instant communication on the English language, a modern reference is more important than ever. • Small and portable, this book is easier to carry and to use than some of the larger, bulkier reference works. • The cover design for WRITE RIGHT! and REWRITE RIGHT! was selected to display in the AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) 50 Books / 50 Covers Exhibition in 2001. The designer for this series (including The Right Word!) is Paul Kepple, director, Headcase Design, Philadelphia, PA.

Word Court

Word Court
Author: Barbara Wallraff
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Total Pages: 336
Release: 2012-09-24
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0544109937

The “witty and accessible” bestseller by the Atlantic Monthly editor who rules on linguistic disputes (San Francisco Chronicle). Atlantic Monthly senior editor Barbara Wallraff first began answering grammar questions on AOL in the 1990s, and the site’s success soon morphed into a regular magazine feature. In Word Court, Wallraff moves beyond her column to preside over common and uncommon cases, establishing rules for such issues as turns of phrase, slang, name usage, punctuation, and newly coined vocabulary. With true wit, she deliberates and decides on the right path for lovers of language, ranging from classic questions (is “a historical” or “an historical” correct?) to awkward issues (How long does someone have to be dead before we should all stop calling her “the late”?). The result is a warmly humorous, reassuring, and brilliantly perceptive tour of how and why we speak the way we do. “A logophile’s delight.” —San Diego Union-Tribune “Her approach to language is a beguiling mix of charm and research” —USA Today

Reading 'The L Word'

Reading 'The L Word'
Author: Kim Akass
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 281
Release: 2006-02-24
Genre: Performing Arts
ISBN: 0857716182

"The L Word" captured international attention when it first appeared on American screens in January 2004. The groundbreaking primetime drama from Showtime is about a group of lesbian and bisexual friends living and loving in Los Angeles, and challenges traditional notions of relationships, queer life styles, gender identities, race and ethnicity and sex and sexuality. "Reading the L Word" is the first book about this television phenomenon. With an introduction by Sarah Warn, the founder of premier lesbian entertainment website, AfterEllen.com, and a foreword by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, the collection brings together leading academics, feminist critics, scholars and award-winning journalists to discuss "The L Word". There is also a complete episode guide, as well as a series of interviews with the actors Erin Daniels, Katherine Moennig, and the writer, Guinevere Turner. Analytical, often humorous and sometimes provocative, "Reading the L Word" uncovers what makes this show both so compelling and groundbreaking.