In this rollicking romp through the bountiful world of words (Minneapolis Star), the bestselling author of Crazy English and More Anguished English takes readers on a logoleptic thrill ride through the beauties and perplexities of the language, spiking the text with irresistible mind scramblers.

Presents a collection of humorous language errors from newspaper headlines, politician's remarks, court transcripts, insurance forms, signs, and classified ads.

Master verbalist Richard Lederer, America's "Wizard of Idiom" (Denver Post), presents a love letter to the most glorious of human achievements... Welcome to Richard Lederer's beguiling celebration of language -- of our ability to utter, write, and receive words. No purists need stop here. Mr. Lederer is no linguistic sheriff organizing posses to hunt down and string up language offenders. Instead, join him "In Praise of English," and discover why the tongue described in Shakespeare's day as "of small reatch" has become the most widely spoken language in history: English never rejects a word because of race, creed, or national origin. Did you know that jukebox comes from Gullah and canoe from Haitian Creole? Many of our greatest writers have invented words and bequeathed new expressions to our eveyday conversations. Can you imagine making up almost ten percent of our written vocabulary? Scholars now know that William Shakespeare did just that! He also points out the pitfalls and pratfalls of English. If a man mans a station, what does a woman do? In the "The Department of Redundancy Department," "Is English Prejudiced?" and other essays, Richard Lederer urges us not to abandon that which makes us human: the capacity to distinguish, discriminate, compare, and evaluate.

In what other language, asks Lederer, do people drive on a parkway and park in a driveway, and your nose can run and your feet can smell? In CRAZY ENGLISH, Lederer frolics through the logic-boggling byways of our language, discovering the names for phobias you didn't know you could have, the longest words in our dictionaries, and the shortest sentence containing every letter in the alphabet. You'll take a bird's-eye view of our beastly language, feast on a banquet of mushrooming food metaphors, and meet the self-reflecting Doctor Rotcod, destined to speak only in palindromes.

"Andrew and Evelyn Rothstein have given teachers a model for teaching the structure of our language with fun and interesting strategies that can be used at all grade levels. They show teachers how to take grammar instruction from a stand-alone subject to an integral part of a complete literacy program." —Kim Whitling, Fifth-Grade Inclusion Teacher Franklinville Central School, NY Build strong grammar skills to help students become better readers, writers, and communicators! With today′s diverse and standards-driven classroom environment, teachers are eager for a new approach to grammar instruction—one that builds understanding of the structure and nuances of English. This practical guide points the way to fun, engaging, and effective grammar teaching for Grades K–12. Designed for classroom teachers, this resource covers grammar fundamentals that support vocabulary and writing skills. Readers will discover teaching strategies that encourage creativity and critical thought, based on a realistic approach to children′s language development. This guide provides: Clear explanations of grammatical terms as a refresher for teachers Easy-to-implement classroom activities, including examples and word play from children′s literature Appropriate techniques for a broad audience of students, with specific suggestions for English language learners Background on the development of English as a global language, promoting students′ respect for diverse cultures A teaching approach that supports the National Council of Teachers of English standards for English language arts Help your students develop a deep understanding of English grammar and build a solid foundation for academic achievement and lifelong communications skills.

An anguished language expert provides the latest collection of unfortunate typos, tragically misplaced modifiers, and other hilarious language snafus.

An entertaining, illuminating lexicography of words coined by authors throughout the ages, published on the “sesquiquadricentennial” (450th anniversary) of Shakespeare's birth. William Shakespeare's written vocabulary consisted of 17,245 words, including hundreds that were coined or popularized by him. Some of the words never went further than their appearance in his plays, but others-like bedazzled, hurry, critical, and anchovy-are essential parts of our standard vocabulary today. Many other famous and lesser-known writers have contributed to the popular lexicon. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Sir Walter Scott ranks second to Shakespeare in first uses of words and giving a new and distinct meaning to already existing words (Free Lances for freelancers). John Milton minted such terms as earthshaking, lovelorn, by hook or crook, and all Hell broke loose, and was responsible for introducing some 630 words. Gifted lexicographer Paul Dickson deftly sorts through neologisms by Chaucer (a ha), Jane Austen (base ball), Louisa May Alcott (co-ed), Mark Twain (hard-boiled), Kurt Vonnegut (granfalloon), John le Carrè (mole), William Gibson (cyberspace), and many others. Presenting stories behind each word and phrase, Dickson enriches our appreciation of the English language in a book as entertaining as it is enlightening.