Lederer on Language: A Celebration of English, Good Grammar, and Wordplay

by Richard Lederer

In this wide-ranging collection of essays, Richard Lederer offers readers more of the irrepressible wordplay and linguistic high jinks his fans can't get enough of, along with observations on a life in letters. From an inner-city classroom to a wordy weekend retreat, from centuries-old etymological legacies to the latest in slang, dialects, and fadspeak, these essays transport, inform, and entertain as only Lederer can. The book includes more than 30 chapters, such as A Declaration of Linguistic Independence, Our Uppity English Language, Etymological Snapshots, and Jest for the Pun of It.

Genres: Nonfiction, Language, Writing

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Richard Lederer is the author of more than 35 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current book, The Gift of Age. He has been profiled in magazines as diverse as The New Yorker, People, and the National Enquirer and frequently appears on radio as a commentator on language. He has been named International Punster of the Year and Toastmasters International's Golden Gavel winner.

He is the father of author and poet Katy Lederer and poker players Howard Lederer and Annie Duke.

Reviews

[Will Byrnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Lederer - image from the San Diego Union-Tribune

I do not really know how this book came to adorn my night table. It may have emerged from the glacier that is my apartment, picked up in a rush some years back then exposed by the movement of this or that piece of furniture, a shifting of this or that pile of stacked books. Or it may have arrived as one of over thirty in a frenzy of Barnes and Noble summer sale books. Yes, kids. Dad does use those gift cards. But alight it did, and served to make it even more difficult for me to get to sleep for a few weeks of bed times. Tickling one’s funny bone is not a particularly effective sleep aid.

Richard Lederer is a very well known speaker, humorist, linguist, and author of over thirty books. He has been called upon by legal teams to help interpret the real meaning of legal documents and he has helped devise clear language for agreements to be. He was a columnist and co-hosted a public radio program for many years. Lederer knows a bit about the English language. His appreciation for words, not only as tools for the communication of meaning, but as playthings, is unrivaled. That he loves language and takes visceral pleasure in its use comes across quite well here.

There are many subjects under scrutiny in eight sections and forty one chapters. A sample includes a look into how American English differs from its eastern parent, with some surprising intel on why that difference came to be, English as a living language subject to change over time, English as a Borg-like absorber of alien words, slang, his experience teaching, a handful of word games, a nice dose of etymology, a look at political correctness, an appreciation for the influence of media on our language and a cornucopia of puns. I was giddy.

If you never met a pun you didn’t like (ok, a good pun), find language fascinating and enjoy learning more about it while chuckling, you could do worse than to spend some time with verbivore Lederer. I give you my word.




Links to the author’s personal and FB pages

[Apio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not impressed...

[Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Lederer is a favorite author of mine. He is the author of 30 books on the English language, several of which I have read. His wit and erudition make him a fun read. He is a master punster and has several chapters on word play. Lederer wrote a chapter on the ubiquity of "like" in the sentences of the under-30 crowd: "I fret that the permeating influence of 'like' makes imprecision the norm and keeps both speakers and listeners from coming to grips with the thoughts behind he words." He is an English teacher and has a few chapters on that profession. Lederer also takes aim at those who exclaim that we can't use split infinitives or end a sentence with a preposition. Like Lederer, I find those fake grammar rules to be something I have had enough of.

[Trisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happened across this book at the library and have been enjoying it every since. It's a laugh out loud look at the pleasures and intricacies of our amazing, fantastic, incredible, awesome, glorious, wonderful, astonishing, spectacular language and its many uses, abuses and misuses. Anyone who loves words and enjoys exploring the many ways we so casually throw them around will have fun reading this book!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great collection of essays. I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Lederer speak at a conference I attended and he was very entertaining. He also has (or had) a montly spot on a local radio station that I used to listen to - his knowledge of words and where they came from and phrases and how they came about is asthonishing...and fun! I now want to read the rest of his works ... but there are so many. Yikes!

[Bayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy books about words and language -- the only problem is that if you read too many of Dr. Lederer's books in a row, they get a bit repetitive. Also, he always demonstrates the linguistic peculiarity that he's discussing, and that can sometimes become a bit much. Overall, lots of fun though.

[Mel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! Each chapter is a fun little nugget about language. I like to read one or two before bed because each is self-contained, so I don't get stuck staying up late because I can't put my book down.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting little book for anyone interested in fascinating facts about word origins and language. Richard Lederer is fantastic and witty, and this is a really enjoyable read.

[Jan Ackerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

More of Lederer's reflections on his love of words than an actual book of wordplay, but still highly entertaining.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Much better than his Anguished English series. Best section: ". . . AND GLADLY TEACH."

[Bardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

RIchard helps remind me how much fun language is.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

At first glance I worried this book would be a little surfacey, in the vein of those Shakespearean Insults books that don't have much substance. After all, there is a section of this book focused on puns. But underneath a little cheese is a solid celebration of English/language from a clear expert. Good read for any language nerd.

[Susan Katz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun!