For word nerds and grammar geeks, a witty guide to the most commonly mispronounced words, along with their correct pronunciations and pithy forays into their fascinating etymologies and histories of use and misuse.
With wit and good humor, this handy little book not only saves us from sticky linguistic situations but also provides fascinating cocktail-party-ready anecdotes. Entries reveal how to pronounce boatswain like an old salt on the deck of a ship, trompe l'oeil like a bona fide art expert, and haricot vert like a foodie, while arming us with the knowledge of why certain words are correctly pronounced the "slangy" way (they came about before dictionaries), what stalks of grain have to do with pronunciation, and more. With bonus sidebars like "How to Sound like a Seasoned Traveler" and "How to Sound Cultured," readers will be able to speak about foreign foods and places, fashion, philosophy, and literature with authority.
Über den Autor Ross Petras
Kathryn Petras & Ross Petras are a sibling writing team with over 4.8 million copies of their work in print - including popular "word nerd" books such as the New York Times bestseller You're Saying It Wrong, That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means, Very Bad Poetry, and, most recently, Awkword Moments. They do a podcast with NPR affiliate KMUW-kind of a Car Talk about words-called "You're Saying It Wrong." Their work has received the attention of, or has been featured in, diverse media outlets including the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Bustle, Atlantic Monthly, London Times, and McSweeney's. They have also been guests on hundreds of radio shows and tv shows, including Good Morning America, CNN, Fox & Friends, and NPR's Here and Now.