Journal Entry 1 by msjoanna from Columbia, Missouri USA on Monday, January 05, 2009

Review
A merry and bright Baedeker to the English language, its history, character, and probable future. American expatriate (to Britain) Bryson proves a witty and knowing guide here, with scarcely a trace of the sneer that spoiled his popular tour of small-town America, The Lost Continent (1989). Instead, a gentle humor, enamored of oddities, warms his discussion of the origins of English, its evolution and current world dominance (so that even in Tokyo, he says, one will find English warnings to motorists: "When a passenger of the foot heave in sight, tootle the horn"). Constantly striving to amuse, Bryson at times seems to be compiling merely a Ripley's of English as bizarre facts stream by in dizzying array: a list of weird American place-names including Dull, Tennessee, Ding Dong, Texas, and "the unsurpassable Maggie's Nipples, Wyoming"; a list of some of the 1,685 words that Shakespeare donated to the language (including "critical," "fretful," "obscene," and "gust"); and so on. But Bryson's passion for words shines throughout, and chapters on how English evolved from Indo-European and Anglo-Norman roots, and on its virtues and vices in spelling, pronunciation, and grammar invigorate potentially dull subjects ("English grammar is so complex and confusing," he points out, "for the one very simple reason that its rules and terminology are based on Latin - a language with which it has precious little in common"). Lively chapters on swearing, wordplay (crosswords, palindromes, anagrams - "mother in law = woman Hitler" - etc.), and the language's bright tomorrow close Bryson's upbeat account. An erudite delight, sure to captivate many.
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Received in the JOE exchange. 

Journal Entry 2 by msjoanna from Columbia, Missouri USA on Friday, November 06, 2009

Though now just a tiny bit dated, this book was lots of fun. Ever wondered about the origin of the term "raspberry" for the spitting with your tongue (also called the Bronx Cheer)? Ever thought about how spellings become set and why some words aren't pronounced as spelled? This book delves into these language issues in a light but still scholarly way.

Reserved for an exchange partner. 

Journal Entry 3 by camis from Tharston, Norfolk United Kingdom on Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Thanks so much for this - I'm currently taking an English module as part of my studies and am hoping this book will add some light hearted thoughts on some of the linguistic issues. 

Journal Entry 4 by camis from Tharston, Norfolk United Kingdom on Sunday, March 07, 2010

Enjoyed this - a light hearted look at some linguistic issues. As MsJoanna says - a little bit dated but still worth a read.