Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with Commentary on Lexicographers and Linguists

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Simon and Schuster, 2011 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 480 pages
Robert Hartwell Fiske aims to eliminate laxity in language today by way of this witty and engaging reference.

Fiske rails against "laxicographers and ding-a-linguists" who, with their misguided thinking, actually promote the dissolution of the English language. He also illustrates why dictionaries don't always provide the correct meaning or usage of a word. With concise instruction and numerous examples of misused words, Fiske makes it easier than ever to learn from others' mistakes.

This comprehensive dictionary of common misusages lays bare the mistakes we all make every day. Robert Hartwell Fiske, the grumbling grammarian of our time, shows you the definitive right way and wrong way to use language--and illustrates why dictionaries don't always provide the correct meaning or usage of a word.
 

Contents

Prologue
1
Imprecation
19
A Definition
435
Appendix A Mock Merriam
441
Appendix B The Fiske Ranking of College Dictionaries
448
Notes
454
Copyright

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About the author (2011)

Robert Hartwell Fiske is the editor and publisher of The Vocabula Review (www.vocabula.com), an online journal about the English language, and certainly the principal web destination for anyone interested in words and language.

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