Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language
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Do you cringe when a talking head pronounces “niche” as NITCH? Do you get bent out of shape when your teenager begins a sentence with “and,” or says “octopuses” instead of “octopi”? Do you think British spellings are more “civilised” than the American versions? Would you bet the bank that “jeep” got its start as a military term and “SOS” as an acronym for “Save Our Ship”? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’re myth-informed. Go stand in the corner–and read this book!In Origins of the Specious, word mavens Patricia T. O’Conner and Stewart Kellerman explode the misconceptions that have led generations of language lovers astray. They reveal why some of grammar’s best-known “rules” aren’t–and never were–rules at all. They explain how Brits and Yanks wound up speaking the same language so differently, and why British English isn’t necessarily purer. This playfully witty yet rigorously researched book sets the record straight about bogus word origins, politically correct fictions, phony français, fake acronyms, and more. English is an endlessly entertaining, ever-changing language, and yesterday’s blooper could be tomorrow’s bon mot–or vice versa! Here are some shockers: “They” was once commonly used for both singular and plural, much the way “you” is today. And an eighteenth-century female grammarian, of all people, is largely responsible for the all-purpose “he.” The authors take us wherever myths lurk, from the Queen’s English to street slang, from Miss Grundy’s admonitions to four-letter unmentionables. This eye-opening romp will be the toast of grammarphiles and the salvation of grammarphobes. Take our word for it. The Barnes & Noble Review Origins of the Specious is a terrific double-take title, especially as its publication coincides with the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth and the 150th anniversary of The Origin of Species. Darwin's Origin is not exactly a light read; Patricia T. O'Conner's is. My family values the genre of what we call "the dipping book" -- the sort you can pick up idly, dip into, and retrieve a useful nugget of information, a memorable anecdote, a humorous trifle, or perhaps an intriguing but only pleasantly difficult conundrum. Such books make the perfect accessory for the guest room, the bedside table, the bathroom, the side of the stove where you're waiting for the water to boil -- anywhere where you might enjoy a refreshing slurp of arcana.
