{"product_id":"origins-of-the-specious-myths-and-misconceptions-of-the-english-language-paperback","title":"Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePatricia T. O'Conner\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eStewart Kellerman\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you cringe when a talking head pronounces \"niche\" as NITCH? Do you get bent out of shape when your teenager begins a sentence with \"and\"? Do you think British spellings are more \"civilised\" than the American versions? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're myth-informed. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003cb\u003eOrigins of the Specious\u003c\/b\u003e, word mavens Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman reveal why some of grammar's best-known \"rules\" aren't--and never were--rules at all. This playfully witty, rigorously researched book sets the record straight about bogus word origins, politically correct fictions, phony fran ais, fake acronyms, and more. Here are some shockers: \"They\" was once commonly used for both singular and plural, much the way \"you\" is today. And an eighteenth-century female grammarian, of all people, is largely responsible for the all-purpose \"he.\" From the Queen's English to street slang, this eye-opening romp will be the toast of grammarphiles and the salvation of grammarphobes. Take our word for it.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePatricia T. O'Conner, a former editor at \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, has written four books on language and writing-the bestselling \u003ci\u003eWoe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English; Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing; Woe Is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English;\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online. \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eStewart Kellerman has been an editor at \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and a foreign correspondent for UPI in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. He co-authored You Send Me with his wife, Patricia T. O'Conner, and he runs their website and blog at grammarphobia.com. They live in rural Connecticut.\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.65 x 8.1 x 5.24 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 24, 2010\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42696964505663,"sku":"9780812978100","price":19.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0105\/8226\/1823\/files\/02de9c261a113cad7c8f0c0c40d134fe.webp?v=1765007961","url":"https:\/\/dhl-adrianne.myshopify.com\/products\/origins-of-the-specious-myths-and-misconceptions-of-the-english-language-paperback","provider":"BBB","version":"1.0","type":"link"}