Anguished English

First published in 1987, Lederer chronicles the many and various ways in which the English language has been abused, misused and generally massacred. I first read it years ago but in the rereading now, I would say it holds up pretty well. There are parts that are truly laugh-out-loud hilarious. Some are familiar because they are famous (think Yogi Berra-isms); others are just plain priceless.

Want some examples?

From student bloopers in essays:
- (reversing a g and a q): "When a boy and a girl are deeply I love, there is no quilt felt between them."
- "In 1957, Eugene O'Neill won a Pullet Surprise"
- "Necessity is the mother of convention."
- "Writing at the same time as Shakespeare was Miguel Cervantes. He wrote Donkey Hote. The next great show more author was John Milton. Milton wrote Paradise Lost. Then his wife died and he wrote Paradise Regained."

From Modern Day Malapropisms:
- "He is a wealthy typhoon."
- "They call it PMS - Pre-Minstrel Syndrome."
- "I wish someone would make a decision around here. I am tired of just hanging around in libido."

From Mixed-up Metaphors:

- "I'm not going to be side-tracked into a tangent."
- "Let's hope that Steve Carlton gets his curve ball straightened out."
- "It's time to grab the bull by the tail and look it in the eye."

From Lost in Translation:

- "Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are best in the long run"
- (sign in Majorcan shop entrance): "English well talking" and "Here Speeching American."

From Laffing at Misspellings:

- "Many people believe he was a Satin worshipper."
- "Today's special: barely soup"
- "Drop your ballet in the ballet box."

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I love stuff like this. I will admit to owning several other books by Lederer, who is nothing if not prolific, though goodness knows, there seems to be a never-ending supply of examples to draw from! show less

I first stumbled across this humorous little volume in the late 1980s (it was published in 1987), and it hasn't lost any of its humor since then. Lederer has gathered together a hilarious collection of misuses of the English language. The book is divided into sections -- Schoolishness, The Blunderful World of Bloopers, Inspired Gibberish, and Grammar Gaffes. The first deals with young students' mangling of words in school papers. The second features the kinds of errors or misuses that were popular on the talk shows with Jay Leno and David Letterman, where goof-ups from newspapers would be highlighted. The third section deals with misunderstand phrases or sayings, and seques into the bizarre kinds of misguided statements made by famed show more malapropters Samuel Goldwyn and Yogi Berra. The final section deals with common misspellings or incorrect definitions, and/or badly placed modifiers. Fans of books like Eats, Shoots and Leaves will enjoy this one, too! Lederer has come out with a whole series of language-inspired humor books, but most of those are very focused in nature. It was not until The Bride of Anguished English in 2000 that he returned to this more general format. Fun for any student of language or for anyone who is "whorrified" and the mis-use of the English language in today's publications and on the internet.

Originally reviewed for my local library's website: http://www.lincolnlibraries.org/depts/bookguide/srec/staffrec09-08.htm show less

Wonderful discussion of the world of misusages
, typos and errors of English. I laughed out loud throughout the entire book.

Very good! Some were amusing, some had me laughing out loud. A few of my favorites:

Potluck supper: prayer and medication to follow.

Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.

Please excuse Mary from being absent yesterday. She was in bed with gramps.

We can't be a pancreas to the whole world's problems.

My uncle suffers from sick as hell anemia.

Drop your ballet in the ballet box.

Editors and Proff Readers -- Must be good in spelling and grammar.

Recommended! Enjoy!

Re-read of the classic collection of printed bloopers from around the world. From student essay errors to twisted newspaper headlines and ads to church bulletin announcements, this is a great conglomeration of funnies. I’ve read it before but I still laughed til I had tears streaming down my face. Excellent therapy!

The examples of mixed-up diction are funny; Lederer's hammy introductions to each chapter are not.

I have had this book for years and can't say how many times I've read it, but it's a lot. Possibly the only book that makes me laugh out loud while reading it.