You are what you speak

[freezeframe]

Excellent and amusing New York Times review of You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity by Robert Lane Greene.

Excerpt from the review:

Greene’s abhorrence of linguistic meddling extends to the “grouches,” “scolds” and “vigilantes” who complain that English is going to hell in a Hupmobile and insist on imposing specious rules and crotchets on a language that is doing quite nicely on its own, thank you. In fact, he argues that the quality of this “declinism” has itself gone downhill over the last century. We’ve passed from the thoughtful homilies of Fowler to the pithy dictums of Strunk and White to the operatic curmudgeonry of modern sticklers like Lynne Truss, whose gasps of horror at the sight of a misplaced apostrophe are a campy cover for self-congratulation.

Two thumbs up for "going to hell in a Hupmobile"

I think I'm going to read the book now.

[freezeframe]

To start a thing is good, just hold on to it.

Yeah, thanks for the tip.

[Tdol]

I agree that pedants aren't what they used to be, especially Lynne Truss.

[Nicolasa77]

I agree that pedants aren't what they used to be, especially Lynne Truss.

Ive tried and tested this tool post reading the post. Its really a nice one. I liked the keyword winner!