Words Words Words | 
| Author: David Crystal
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Category: Book
List Price: $16.95
Buy New: $7.05
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Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 91793
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.9
ISBN: 0199210772
Dewey Decimal Number: 420
EAN: 9780199210770
ASIN: 0199210772
Publication Date: August 6, 2007
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Product Description
"Lexicography is not just an exercise in linguistic accounting," writes preeminent English language scholar David Crystal in this exceptionally lively and erudite little book. "It is a voyage of lexical exploration and discovery."
In Words, Words, Words, Crystal takes readers on a fascinating linguistic adventure, exploring the English language in all its oddity, complexity, and ever-changing beauty. Traveling from word origins and word evolution to wordgangs, wordrisks, wordplay, wordgames and beyond, Crystal shares his immense knowledge of, and equally immense delight in, language. He celebrates new words, old words, words that "snarl" and words that "purr," elegant words and taboo words, plain English words and convoluted gobbledegook, eponyms and antonyms, spoonerisms and malapropisms, and a host of other written and spoken forms and variations.
Words, Words, Words offers invaluable insight on such subjects as how to estimate the size of your vocabulary the functions of jargon when cliches are necessary the value of slang words ("the chief use of slang/is to show you're one of the gang") how to create your own "semantic field" dialect humor how to become a word detective how to keep a record of your child's words and much more!
With illuminating sidebars featuring everything from common word origins and sample definitions from the dictionaries of Samuel Johnson and Ambrose Bierce to a passage from Finnegan's Wake and the winning entries of The Guardian Text Message Poetry Competition, Words, Words, Words will both satisfy and spark the curiosity of anyone who has ever been intrigued, befuddled, or awed by words and myriad ways we use them.
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| Customer Reviews:
Entertaining and Inspiring March 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
PERFECTLY written by an author who knows the language upside down. Crystal takes seemingly boring topics such as etymology, lexicology... and makes them interesting, educative, and entertaining. His writing style is appealing and 'simple' such that anybody can read it without being bogged down.
He has subtle advices for wannabe word-detectives, too. You are assured to be entertained from the very first word... you will love it.
A Great Surprise September 22, 2007
7 out of 10 found this review helpful
WORDS WORDS WORDS
It was the first time that I have ever read a book by David Crystal. Although I am not an English native speaker I think that Crystal has a straightforward way to write even to those - like me- who are not familiar with language business.
It is a book to read and reread. I recommend.
Laura Oldenburg
Rio de Janeiro- Brazil
Entertaining, Educational, Interesting August 14, 2007
6 out of 9 found this review helpful
For such a short read this book really covers a lot of ground in a very fun and informal way. The chapter lay-out is well structured and although it gives general knowledge on many categories, it tells you where you can find more information on each subject. Highly recommended for high schoolers and adults alike.
A great gift for anyone fascinated by the English language January 24, 2007
7 out of 14 found this review helpful
This book is not only well-written, but also well designed, making it a perfect gift for any scholarly type on your gift list. And if that includes you, then go hog wild and get one for yourself.
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