Do you know your geek-speak from your geek-chic? Ever wanted to put Humpty Dumpty together again? Can you distinguish Spanglish from Chinglish? We adapt words from other languages, from slang, from developments in science, literature and art. Often, we adopt them from a bright yellow and deeply dysfunctional television cartoon family called The Simpsons. D'oh!, Homer's grunt of irritation at each successive failure, has now entered the Oxford English Dictionary and it was Homer who also created sacrilicious, which so ...
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Do you know your geek-speak from your geek-chic? Ever wanted to put Humpty Dumpty together again? Can you distinguish Spanglish from Chinglish? We adapt words from other languages, from slang, from developments in science, literature and art. Often, we adopt them from a bright yellow and deeply dysfunctional television cartoon family called The Simpsons. D'oh!, Homer's grunt of irritation at each successive failure, has now entered the Oxford English Dictionary and it was Homer who also created sacrilicious, which so precisely captures the pleasure of being rude about someone else's religious beliefs. This is a collection of pieces that will tease, tickle and tantalise those who enjoy all things lexical. Learn the advantages of having your own signature word; Boris Johnson has come up with 'bemerded' or 'to be fouled by a dog', even though the word doesn't actually exist; the significance of lifts with middle-class, 1930s accents and what reviewers really mean when they say exhaustive (exhausting), compelling (I managed to finish it), detailed (has footnotes) and richly detailed (has lots of footnotes). Explore what classic texts may have been like had they been given happier endings: Madame Bovary gets her man, Hamlet finds a shrink, marries Ophelia and goes into insurance. Godot actually turns up. Witty, profound and utterly delightful, The Last Word is a collection of delicious morsels that celebrate the richness, ridiculousness and resilience of language.
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Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue. to cart. $2.23, fair condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Bloomsbury UK.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $10.99, good condition, Sold by Stephen White Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Bradford, WEST YORKSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales from the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $13.54, good condition, Sold by Pieuler LLC rated 2.0 out of 5 stars, ships from IPSWICH, SUFFOLK, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $15.99, good condition, Sold by Brit Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Milton Keynes, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
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Seller's Description:
Good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $22.11, very good condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
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Seller's Description:
Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $22.11, fair condition, Sold by Reuseabook rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Gloucester, GLOS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
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Seller's Description:
Fair. Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. The book is perfectly readable and fit for use, although it shows signs of previous ownership. The spine is likely creased and the cover scuffed or slightly torn. Textbooks will typically have an amount of underlining and/or highlighting, as well as notes. If this book is over 5 years old, then please expect the pages to be yellowing or to have age spots. Damaged cover. The cover of is slightly damaged for instance a torn or bent corner. Aged book. Tanned pages and age spots, however, this will not interfere with reading.
Add this copy of Last Word-Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $25.00, new condition, Sold by Dr.Bookman-Cardboard Packed rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Pittsburgh, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2010 by Bloomsbury.
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Seller's Description:
New. 1408804352. This specific paperback book is in new condition with a cover that has sharp edges and corners and has a tight binding. The pages are clean, crisp, unmarked and uncreased. We package all books in custom cardboard book boxes for shipment and ship daily with tracking numbers.; "The author writes pieces about a wide variety of things including the derivation of nursery rhymes, the origin of pigeon English, invented and resurrected words, words imported from other languages, making words from initials, the size of your vocabulary, literary Darwinism, and strange bookshops among many others. There must be over one hundred different pieces and I found each of them interesting-and if you don't find one to your taste then there will be another one very soon. I have a general interest in words and language and have read similar books before (by Lynne Truss, John Humphrys, Bill Bryson, and others) but there was plenty to engage and amuse me and lots of interesting, and possibly useless, things to learn here. The book doesn't talk down to the reader but it isn't by any stretch of the imagination an academic book. It is written in an entertaining style with a wry humour."; Oblong Small 8vo 7½"-8" tall; 314 pages.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales from the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $30.71, new condition, Sold by Pieuler LLC rated 2.0 out of 5 stars, ships from IPSWICH, SUFFOLK, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales From the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $32.96, new condition, Sold by Revaluation Books rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Exeter, DEVON, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2010 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
Add this copy of The Last Word: Tales from the Tip of the Mother Tongue to cart. $47.26, good condition, Sold by Pieuler LLC rated 2.0 out of 5 stars, ships from IPSWICH, SUFFOLK, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2009 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.