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Literally, the Best Language Book Ever: Annoying Words and Abused Phrases You Should Never Use Again | 
| Author: Paul Yeager
Publisher: Perigee Trade
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
Buy New: $7.94
You Save: $6.01 (43%)
New (15) Used (3) from $7.94
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 5083
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 208
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 5.3 x 0.7
ISBN: 0399534237
Dewey Decimal Number: 428
EAN: 9780399534232
ASIN: 0399534237
Publication Date: May 6, 2008 (New: Last 30 Days)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Condition: 100% Brand New! - Ships Today! Identical to Amazon's book in every way. Flawless! Not a cheap Remainder or Book Club Copy! *We recommend Expedited Shipping option for much faster mail delivery
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Product Description
A wry and engaging look at trite, trendy, grammatically incorrect, inane, outdated, and lazy uses of words, phrases, and expressions.
By turns gleefully precise and happily contrarian, this is a highly opinionated guide to better communication. In Literally, the Best Language Book Ever, author Paul Yeager attacks with a linguistic scalpel the illogical expressions and misappropriated meanings that are so commonplace and annoying in everyday conversation. Identifying hundreds of common language miscues, Yeager provides an astute look at the world of words and how we abuse them every day.
For the grammar snobs looking for any port in a storm of subpar syntax, or the self-confessed rubes seeking a helping hand, this witty guide can transform even the least literate into the epitome of eloquence.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Face it, we are all guilty. We are human and can not be right 110% of the time. May 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
When I first saw the book advertised, I made a list of the phrases and comments I thought would be covered. While not a comprehensive listing, the author really hit a home run with the breadth of comments. Some of the offending statement do make commentary more colorful but typically, they add words without understanding whether their usage is really critical to the meaning. In a way, this is using the extreme form of euphemisms and, by virtue of doing so, obscuring the meaning of the statement being made. The book does not seem intended to be deeply thought provoking and, while I did not agree with everything, I did find myself strongly agreeing with quite a few of his observations. It can be read quickly in one sitting or can be used to provide shorter, entertaining breaks in your day.
Many of these phrases are just an example of our need to be constantly talking -- constantly making noise in an attempt to turn the right phrase to make us appear glib and entertaining. I enjoyed the author taking apart language as it is commonly used. Was that literally or figuratively taking apart? Read it and decide which is correct.
 Irregardless of those knuckleheads who could care less... May 15, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Literally the Best Language Book Ever? Well, not really, but then that's the point, the title being one of many barbs of bad usage, annoying hyperbole, and overused or senseless phrases. This "very unique", "cool" treatise on the author's pet peeves with declining English skills helps us to think "out-of-the-box" of our bad behavior.
If you're skilled wordsmith, there's little here beyond a smug bit of fun. But if you're a high school student, a college attendee with less than stellar grammar skills, or even the average catch phrase prone business person, please read this and take it to heart.
 One Man's Pet Peeves May 14, 2008
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
This isn't a book about improving your language, and this isn't a book about speaking or writing clearly and plainly. What you will find here is a list of things that annoy the author. If you agree with him, you're in for a treat, but if you disagree or just don't care, this book is something like listening to that annoying friend you've got who yells at you every time you end a sentence in a preposition or split an infinitive.
Consider the book ends with an entry on the phrase "you guys," which is something the author finds sexist, offensive, and the easiest way for a waiter to ruin your fine dining experience. Or as the author puts it: "Nothing takes the elegance out of a formal or intimate dinner than informal service..." Really? Nothing? Would this pretentious author be comfortable with a waiter who very eloquently insults his date, as long as he doesn't say "you guys?"
If you want a book that lists some "Annoying Words and Abused Phrases" and manages to make arguments for whys and take a stand against imprecise and ambiguous language, rather than things the author finds annoying (like using the word "cool" to describe anything other than temperature), pick up _Junk English_ by Ken Smith. If you want to know all about things that annoy one bad writer, buy Mr. Yeager's manual of pedantic snobbery.
 Inadequate preview for Kindle owners May 13, 2008
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
Just a warning for Kindle readers. The free sample of the Kindle edition of this book consists of only introductory material explaining why the author wrote the book. There is not enough information to enable the prospective reader to decide whether to buy the book or not.
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