Word Court: Wherein Verbal Virtue is Rewarded, Crimes Against the Language Are Punished, and Poetic Justice is Done

by Barbara Wallraff and Francine Prose

Book Overview

By the author of the Atlantic Monthly's highly popular column "Word Court," the most engaging grammar guide of our time, with all the authority of Strunk and White and all the fun of Woe Is I.

The "Judge Judy of Grammar" was born when the Atlantic Monthly's Barbara Wallraff began answering grammar questions on America Online. This vibrant exchange became the magazine's bimonthly "Word Court," and eventually the bestselling hardcover book, Word...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0156011182
• ISBN13: 9780156011181
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
• Length: 384 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Every page a delight

What an absolute joy this book was to read; like sitting down and having coffee alone with the author for a few hours and delighting in the stories of her life. I found her informal style as engaging as the stories she was telling, and have been seen in trains, airplanes, and my bed laughing out loud at her witty comments. She believes in our language but is always modern in her views. Never doctrinaire, but never lax in her respect for the rules that assure the best communication. Can't wait to read "More Word Court".

Word Court

I have been an ardent afficiando of the English language for many decades and have a large, though incomplete library of books on the subject. Based on its description, I had to order this one. It arrived and, to my surprise, I am reading it as I might any other book rather than using it only as a reference. It is helpful, full of great information and points-of-view. I cannot praise it enough. It is a major contribution to the subject and absolutely delightful, as well. Barbara Wallraff need not take a back seat to Fowler, on that account.

I Plead Guilty to Enjoying This Book Immensely

Seriously, though: this book is the best I've seen come along in recent years on the subject of English language and usage. It's also a lot of fun to read. As someone who cares deeply about "getting it down right," it's a great relief to know there are people out there whose job it is to pay attention to how our language is evolving (or not), especially in this age of computerese and political correctness. Wallraff manages to impart a wealth of useful information with a light, witty touch. She seems to answer almost every frustrating question I've ever had about English. Word Court is essential if your craft is writing, or even if you merely enjoy thinking about language. The book has earned a spot on my shelf, right next to the old classics like Fowler and Strunk & White. I highly recommend it.

Words that edify, enlighten and amuse

No, not another how-to-write and grammar book, but a terrific book about our language, how we use it, its peculiarities and ours. Her magazine readers (she writes a column for The Atlantic) have asked her lots of crazy questions, which she answers in thoughtful and amusing ways. You can read this for fun - or as a reference. Either way, it really works.

Wonderful book!

I'm an avid collector of language-reference books, and use them for both professional and personal purposes. This is one of the best I've found. It's fun to read (a rare characteristic in this genre) but is also terrifically informative. In addition to covering all sorts of routine questions about grammar and usage, it also offers advice on topics that nobody else seems to address. For example, where else can you find out whether temperatures may be "cold" or must be "low"? This is a book that's definitely worth having on one's desk -- and at one's bedside!