{"product_id":"origins-of-the-specious-myths-and-misconceptions-of-the-english-language-paperback","title":"Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003ePatricia T. O'Conner\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eStewart Kellerman\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDo you cringe when a talking head pronounces \"niche\" as NITCH? Do you get bent out of shape when your teenager begins a sentence with \"and\"? Do you think British spellings are more \"civilised\" than the American versions? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're myth-informed. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003cb\u003eOrigins of the Specious\u003c\/b\u003e, word mavens Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman reveal why some of grammar's best-known \"rules\" aren't--and never were--rules at all. This playfully witty, rigorously researched book sets the record straight about bogus word origins, politically correct fictions, phony français, fake acronyms, and more. Here are some shockers: \"They\" was once commonly used for both singular and plural, much the way \"you\" is today. And an eighteenth-century female grammarian, of all people, is largely responsible for the all-purpose \"he.\" From the Queen's English to street slang, this eye-opening romp will be the toast of grammarphiles and the salvation of grammarphobes. Take our word for it.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003ePatricia T. O'Conner, a former editor at \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e, has written four books on language and writing-the bestselling \u003ci\u003eWoe Is I: The Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English; Words Fail Me: What Everyone Who Writes Should Know About Writing; Woe Is I Jr.: The Younger Grammarphobe's Guide to Better English in Plain English;\u003c\/i\u003e and\u003ci\u003e You Send Me: Getting It Right When You Write Online. \u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eStewart Kellerman has been an editor at \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e and a foreign correspondent for UPI in Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. He co-authored You Send Me with his wife, Patricia T. O'Conner, and he runs their website and blog at grammarphobia.com. They live in rural Connecticut.\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 288\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.65 x 8.1 x 5.24 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 24, 2010\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52696551194931,"sku":"9780812978100","price":26.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/rgnt1q_zaX9780812978100.webp?v=1782823357","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/origins-of-the-specious-myths-and-misconceptions-of-the-english-language-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}