Points of View: Aspects of Present-day EnglishOxford University Press, 1992 - 150 pages This is a fascinating collection of essays and reflections on language by Robert Burchfield, a leading authority on English usage and etymology, and editor of the Supplement to the First Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary. Points of View begins with two original and entertaining reflections, the first entitled "The Fowler Brothers and the Tradition of Usage Handbooks," the second "An Outline of Euphemisms in English." The selection of shorter pieces which follows--drawn from Burchfield's popular Sunday Times of London column, "Words and Meanings"--concerns the English language as it is used throughout the world. These cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from the language of newspaper recruitment advertising and Valentine's Day messages to the modern use (and misuse) of apostrophes and hyphens. The book concludes with a series of engaging thoughts on individual words--often the most simple--about which there is continuing debate in modern English. Whether focusing on such contentious issues as "between you and me" versus "between you and I," or discussing the twenty-nine meanings of the verb "to want," Burchfield proves himself to be a particularly keen arbiter of English usage and a perceptive commentator on the state of our language today. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 28
Page 11
... phrases , are misuses of mutual . . . In such places common is the right word , & the use of mutual betrays ignorance of its meaning . ( MEU , pp . 368–9 ) It is of interest to observe that , shortly after the publication of TKE , the ...
... phrases , are misuses of mutual . . . In such places common is the right word , & the use of mutual betrays ignorance of its meaning . ( MEU , pp . 368–9 ) It is of interest to observe that , shortly after the publication of TKE , the ...
Page 66
... Phrase and Fable , but Lemprière , D'Hozier's dictionary , and Mangnall's Questions . In an early chapter , almost ... phrases that are now obsolete or archaic abound : ' the latter champion was all abroad , as the saying is ' ( wide ...
... Phrase and Fable , but Lemprière , D'Hozier's dictionary , and Mangnall's Questions . In an early chapter , almost ... phrases that are now obsolete or archaic abound : ' the latter champion was all abroad , as the saying is ' ( wide ...
Page 81
... phrases as ' a grammar - based database management system ' and ' fast string searching capabilities ' in a recent Canadian report on an ambitious computer project . Obviously we are not yet ready to print the second of these as ...
... phrases as ' a grammar - based database management system ' and ' fast string searching capabilities ' in a recent Canadian report on an ambitious computer project . Obviously we are not yet ready to print the second of these as ...
Contents
The Fowler Brothers and the Tradition of Usage Handbooks I | 11 |
An Outline History of Euphemisms in English | 17 |
Topics | 35 |
Copyright | |
24 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
adjectives adverbs advertisements ain't American appear areas authors baggage beginning British called century changed circumstances common constructions contexts course dare death described designer Dictionary distinction edition elements English English Studies entries especially euphemism evidence examples existence expressed Fowler gerund give given governed grammar guides happened infinitive issue John keep kind language Latin less letter linguistic listed London look matter meaning names natural normally noun object occur origin Oxford past Penelope Lively perhaps period person phrases present problem pronouns published question reading reason recent recorded reported seems sense sentence sound sources speech stand standard Sunday syllable synonyms tense things turned usage various verb whereabouts words writers written young