SAYS WHO?

A leading specialist in communication romps through the debates around the proper, improper, and colorful use of language.

Curzan, a professor of English language, literature, linguistics, and education, knows enough about the rules of language to make fun of them when appropriate (look no further than the word funner in the subtitle). She acknowledges that she, like many other people concerned with language, is constantly fighting a psychological battle. One side is the “grammando,” who wants to correct the technical mistakes of others; the other is the “wordie,” delighting in the ever evolving landscape of language. With this in mind, the author happily dives into a host of current issues, including the conversion of nouns to verbs, double negatives, gender-neutral titles, the difference between less and fewer, and when to take literally literally. Many of these issues are the subject of heated discussion within the lexicographic community, but that’s nothing compared to the arguments over commas, colons and semicolons, and—Curzan’s personal favorite—dashes. Linguistically speaking, it’s a jungle out there. Along the way, the author looks at the best ways to use conjunctions to start a sentence and prepositions to end them, as well as the changing status of apostrophes. With interesting anecdotes and examples, she largely comes down on the “wordie” side, noting that strict adherence to the rules of grammar can often end in a clumsy mess. Better, she advises, to look for clear and fair-minded communication, with writing that is stylistically pleasing and honest. “And there are lots of ways to use language effectively, far beyond what we may have learned as ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in school,” she writes. It’s a suitable conclusion to a book that is, in a word, fun.

As a guide through the labyrinth of language, Curzan provides a road map that makes for an enjoyable, informative journey.