Bad English, Ammon Shea
Bad English, Ammon Shea
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Bad English
A History of Linguistic Aggravation

Author: Ammon Shea

Narrator: Mike Chamberlain

Unabridged: 3 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/19/2014


Synopsis

English is a glorious mess of a language, cobbled together from a wide variety of sources and syntaxes, and changing over time with popular usage. Many of the words and usages we embrace as standard and correct today were at first considered slang, impolite, or just plain wrong.

Whether you consider yourself a stickler, a nitpicker, or a rule-breaker in the know, Bad English is sure to enlighten, enrage, and perhaps even inspire. Filled with historic and contemporary examples, the book chronicles the long and entertaining history of language mistakes, and features some of our most common words and phrases, including decimate, hopefully, enormity, that vs. which, enervate vs. energize, bemuse vs. amuse, literally vs. figuratively, ain't, irregardless, socialist, OMG, and stupider.

Lively, funny, and surprising, this is a book that will settle arguments among word lovers—and it's sure to start a few, too.

About Ammon Shea

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Reviews

Goodreads review by Michael on November 04, 2014

Another fun [if I may use that "slovenly adjective"] romp through the English language with Ammon Shea! Those who take a prescriptive approach to English grammar will be outraged by his sly and humorous undercutting of many beloved and bogus ["a colloquial term incompatible with dignified diction"]......more

Goodreads review by Christine on February 26, 2015

Mr. Shea takes an in-depth look at the evolution of our English language. Traveling along an easily understood timeline he looks at words and phrases that began as mistakes and misspeaks yet have now become commonplace and acceptable in both the written and spoken word. And yes, there is a differenc......more

Goodreads review by Dorrit on June 22, 2014

Boring!......more

Goodreads review by sologdin on November 08, 2014

An anti-prescriptivist exercise, perhaps part of the runaway hit niche subgenre of lexicographers’ humor. Provides historical analysis of the usage of favorites such as: hopefully, literally, decimate, enormity, enervate, aggravate, unique, belittle, balding, stupider, irregardless, impact, finalize,......more

Goodreads review by Courtney on January 04, 2020

A great book! It is literally (not figuratively) a history of grammarians' (is that apostrophe in the correct place?) gripes about the semantics and grammar of the English language, most of which I didn't know were ever a problem! It is funny and it appealed to my nerdy linguist side. If you too hav......more