What In The Word?

Wordplay, Word Lore, and Answers to Your Peskiest Questions about Language

by Charles Harrington Elster

On Sale: 11/01/2005

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What In The Word?

Wordplay, Word Lore, and Answers to Your Peskiest Questions about Language

by Charles Harrington Elster

On Sale: 11/01/2005

Format:

Amazon Indigo

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About the Book

Are you so sure about “assure,” “ensure,” and “insure”? Can you determine whether a knob of butter is equivalent to a lump or a pat or a scosh? Can you say which word in the English language has the most definitions, or who put the H in Jesus H. Christ?

If you can’t, be assured that Charles Harrington Elster, author of several well-loved works on language, can—and does in his latest book, a delightfully designed compendium of the most common, interesting, and entertaining conundrums in our language. Drawing upon esoteric sources and his own inimitable expertise, Elster uses a lively question-and-answer format to cover a variety of topics—word and phrase origins, slang, style, usage, punctuation, and pronunciation. Every chapter features original brainteasers, challenging puzzles, and a trove of literary trivia.

Critical Praise

PRAISE FOR THE BIG BOOK OF BEASTLY MISPRONUNCIATIONS

"Ek-STROR-di-ner-ee. The best survey of the spoken field in years."--William Safire, The New York Times Magazine
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