Take My Words: A Wordaholic’s Guide to the English Language
Take My Words
A Wordaholic’s Guide to the English Language
by Howard Richler
$14.95
- Autumn 1996
- ISBN 978-0-921870-42-5 (0-921870-42-6)
- 6″ x 9″ Trade Paperback, 152 pages
- Language, Humour
- Out of print
In this lively and informative book, Howard Richler imparts his fascination with the richness of the language which is fast becoming the globe’s newest lingua franca. Filled with surprises about the language we use everyday, Take My Words offers information about the history of words, their shifting meanings, and the essential playfulness of language.
Richler includes chapters on puns, palindromes and malapropisms, and develops a series of entertaining puzzles, quizzes and word games to challenge the reader’s skills. Take My Words also includes chapters on the dangers and consequences of mistranslation — from Kennedy’s famous “Ich bin ein Berliner” to the bombing of Hiroshima. Ending his tour of English with a special Canadian section, Richler discusses the importance of Native languages to the Canadian experience as well as the ways in which Quebecois French has influenced English.
Reviews:
“Take My Words is a user-friendly pot-pourri of lexical tidbits that will prove especially enjoyable to anyone just discovering the joy of lex.”
—Bill Casselman, Montreal Gazette
