The Grouchy Grammarian: A How-Not-To Guide to the 47 Most Common Mistakes in English Made by Journalists, Broadcasters, and Others Who Should

by Thomas Parrish

Book Overview

Do you commit apostrophe atrocities?

Are you tormented by the lie/lay conundrum?

Do you find yourself stuck between floaters and danglers?

Do your subjects and your verbs refuse to agree?

If so, you're not alone. Some of the most prominent professionals in TV broadcasting and at major newspapers and magazines-people who really should know better-are guilty of making all-too-common grammatical errors. In this delightfully...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471223832
• ISBN13: 9780471223832
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.5" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

A passionate guide on how-not-to write.

In "The Grouchy Grammarian," historian and long-time editor Thomas Parrish offers an easy-to-read, informational, entertaining and blithesome reference filled with advice on how to avoid 47 of the most common mistakes in English grammar. Each topic is covered in a short chapter with a handy summary at the end for quick check-ups, and each is humorously presented through the point of view of the author's alter ego, The Grouch, a clever, witty, and very opinionated fictional curmudgeon who is a self-proclaimed guardian of grammar and calls errors "infelicities to be corrected." Not only will The Grouch teach you the rules of grammar, usage and good writing, reinforcing his point by ruthlessly citing real-life examples of grammatical gaffes, careless errors, and basic mistakes taken from the blunders of some of today's best-known newspapers, magazines, and TV broadcasts, he will also make your learning experience enjoyable by having you laugh, chuckle or at least smile at his passionate remarks and his quixotic personality. As a bonus, for those who wish to go deeper into the subject, the book includes a vast bibliography, and a thorough index for quick consultations. Overall, this is an excellent resource that combines narrative and reference to help you learn or review the elements of precise writing that are most often forgotten, also throwing in for good measure some general and common sense advice on writing. --Reviewed by Maritza Volmar

We've Needed This Book For A Long Time

If you've ever struggled with the proper placement of an apostrophe, or the usage of "lie" or "lay", or the difference between "compliment" and "complement", this book is for you. Most English-speaking people can't speak English. Perhaps they slept through every single English class they took. Perhaps they just don't care. It's written in a very humorous, readable style that will keep you interested rather than putting you to sleep. And with all the examples of atrocious grammatical errors, it will show people just how ridiculous they sound when they can't be bothered to get it right. Every chapter has something in it that will at least get a giggle out of you. I found it especially amusing after reading his numerous bashings of editors and proofreaders, to find that his own proofreader apparently wasn't paying too much attention on page 131. This book should be required reading for anyone who speaks English and for those that only think they do. Read it, learn it, and apply it. If it doesn't actually make you smarter, at least it will make you sound smarter.

Teaches you how to speak and write clearly without mistakes.

Contrary to the title, this book is not some esoteric grammar book. It it a way to help you express your thoughts in writing and speech without redundancy or embarassing common errors. The writer is very reasonable and modern, not some old man just complaining about the demise of proper English, but someone truly attempting to help journalists, broadcatsers, and everyone avoid some of the simplest, but most common, mistakes made. You will also enjoy the humorous examples from the AP and New York Times.P.S.: slightly short on correct examples or full explanations sometimes, but still a 5 STAR BOOK and a MUST-READ for anyone

A Delightful Read

Who says grammar can't be fun? Tom Parrish's beautifully-written, light-hearted and easy-reading guide to frequent faux pas is a worthwhile romp through frequent gaffes in style. Parrish's engaging primer on verbal correctness is a gem.

More informative than grouchy!

"The Grouchy Grammarian" is not a grouchy book. Parrish's fictional curmudgeon limits his irritation to public figures and national media outlets for spreading grammatical errors and "infelicities" throughout the populace. Parrish constructively channels his alter-ego's concerns, and the result is enlightening rather than chastening. Among usage guides, this one is particularly helpful for three reasons:1) Each topic is covered in a short chapter, and each chapter ends with a summary so you can learn a lot quickly.2) Parrish includes a thorough index, and a thoughtful annotated bibliography of guides to language, writing and usage.3) Parrish clearly explains why usage glitches are glitches. Now that I understand what NOT to do, I don't have to laboriously memorize rules about what to do. Rote memorization of grammar rules never worked for me--I resemble the student in "Up the Down Staircase" who complains that "semicolons don't stick to my head."I wish all people who worry about "weak", "watery" assaults upon English had mediators like Parrish to absorb their ire and deftly convey their championship and knowledge of precise language.