Wednesday, 19 March 2008 12:03 pm
Something for the "verbivore" in you
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deckardcanineLast week I finished Richard Lederer's A Man of My Words: Reflections on the English Language. I had started it shortly after Christmas 2006 and read about 100 pages before shelving it for more than a year. I think the main reason I waited until today to review it is that it wasn't easy for me to evaluate.
In the introduction, Lederer relates that he tried to devise a good analogy to answer the common question, "Where do you get your ideas?" He came up with, "Where does a spider get its web?", thinking it equally mysterious. But the first time he tried it, the kid who asked immediately replied, "From its butt!"
This anecdote makes a decent illustration of why I have mixed feelings about the book. Lederer demonstrates a lot of knowledge and wit when it comes to language, but some of his attempts at cleverness or intrigue miss the mark, sometimes due to factual mistakes or ignorance (he thinks that "geezer" is never said without "old" before it?). Not having read any of the previous 20+ books he wrote or co-wrote, I can't tell whether he was always like this or is losing his touch in old age.
While invariably geared toward word geeks like me, the chapters are more numerous and diverse than I expected. In fact, after the hiatus, I thought, "This isn't the book I remember." There are lessons and stated opinions on the growth of the English vocabulary, the distinction of Americanisms and other -isms, changing grammar, and etymologies. There are accounts of experience in writing, teaching, conventions, and radio. There are sections that exist simply for fun, whether games, quizzes, or thoughtful puns (some of which, alas, I recognized). As a result, my level of interest varied as well.
But overall, I didn't feel that I was wasting my time. What I learned, I appreciated. Several parts were worth sharing with family. Lederer's wit seems juiciest when piled up in one place, such as the chapter on fadspeak or his questioning of airline language ("The thought of the plane soaring upward 'momentarily' does not soothe my soul").
I'd be interested in checking out more from Lederer, as well as the annual Wonderful World of Words gathering that he described.
In the introduction, Lederer relates that he tried to devise a good analogy to answer the common question, "Where do you get your ideas?" He came up with, "Where does a spider get its web?", thinking it equally mysterious. But the first time he tried it, the kid who asked immediately replied, "From its butt!"
This anecdote makes a decent illustration of why I have mixed feelings about the book. Lederer demonstrates a lot of knowledge and wit when it comes to language, but some of his attempts at cleverness or intrigue miss the mark, sometimes due to factual mistakes or ignorance (he thinks that "geezer" is never said without "old" before it?). Not having read any of the previous 20+ books he wrote or co-wrote, I can't tell whether he was always like this or is losing his touch in old age.
While invariably geared toward word geeks like me, the chapters are more numerous and diverse than I expected. In fact, after the hiatus, I thought, "This isn't the book I remember." There are lessons and stated opinions on the growth of the English vocabulary, the distinction of Americanisms and other -isms, changing grammar, and etymologies. There are accounts of experience in writing, teaching, conventions, and radio. There are sections that exist simply for fun, whether games, quizzes, or thoughtful puns (some of which, alas, I recognized). As a result, my level of interest varied as well.
But overall, I didn't feel that I was wasting my time. What I learned, I appreciated. Several parts were worth sharing with family. Lederer's wit seems juiciest when piled up in one place, such as the chapter on fadspeak or his questioning of airline language ("The thought of the plane soaring upward 'momentarily' does not soothe my soul").
I'd be interested in checking out more from Lederer, as well as the annual Wonderful World of Words gathering that he described.