Richard Lederer explores the intricacies and joys of human communication through his extensive writings on language, history, and humor. His work offers readers an enriching perspective on the power of words, often infused with keen observation and wit. Through his prolific publications and frequent radio commentary, he shares a deep passion for linguistics and a unique ability to find amusement in everyday language.
An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language
192 pages
7 hours of reading
Anguished English is the impossibly funny anthology of accidental assaults upon our common language. From bloopers and blunders to Signs of the Times to Mixed-Up Metaphors . . . from Two-Headed Headlines to Mangling Modifiers . . . it's a collection that will leave you roaring with delight and laughter.
In what other language, asks Lederer, do people drive on a parkway and park in a driveway, and your nose can run and your feet can smell? In CRAZY ENGLISH, Lederer frolics through the logic-boggling byways of our language, discovering the names for phobias you didn't know you could have, the longest words in our dictionaries, and the shortest sentence containing every letter in the alphabet. You'll take a bird's-eye view of our beastly language, feast on a banquet of mushrooming food metaphors, and meet the self-reflecting Doctor Rotcod, destined to speak only in palindromes.