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The Grouchy Grammarian: A How-Not-To Guide to the 47 Most Common Mistakes in English Made by Journalists, Broadcasters, and Others Who Should Know Better [Hardcover]

Thomas Parrish (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: Oct 8 2002 | ISBN-10: 0471223832 | ISBN-13: 978-0471223832 | Edition: 1
Do you commit apostrophe atrocities?

Are you tormented by the lie/lay conundrum?

Do you find yourself stuck between floaters and danglers?

Do your subjects and your verbs refuse to agree?

If so, you're not alone. Some of the most prominent professionals in TV broadcasting and at major newspapers and magazines-people who really should know better-are guilty of making all-too-common grammatical errors. In this delightfully amusing, clever guide, Thomas Parrish points out real-life grammar gaffes from top-notch publications such as the New York Times and the New Yorker to illustrate just how widespread these errors are. With red pen in hand, Parrish's fictional friend the Grouchy Grammarian leads the charge, examining the forty-seven most common mistakes in English and imparting the basics of good grammar with a charming mixture of fussiness and common sense. All of which makes The Grouchy Grammarian the most entertaining, accessible how-not-to guide you'll ever read.

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Review

“…this is a lighthearted but highly effective reminder for anyone looking to avoid the pitfalls of the English language…”(Good Book Guide, June 2003)

From the Inside Flap

Writing with flair, passion, and no small amount of wit, Thomas Parrish offers an entertaining, opinionated take on the parlous state of the English language in this unique how-not-to guide. His persnickety, hilarious fictional friend "the Grouchy Grammarian" examines forty-seven of the most common grammatical mistakes in English, using examples of errors found in major newspapers, magazines, and TV broadcasting.

No one is safe from the Grammarian’s vigilant monitoring of the English language. From the New York Times to the New Yorker to network sports broadcasters, the Grammarian records various gaffes, careless errors, and basic grammatical mistakes made by those who should know better. In forty-seven brief, highly readable chapters, he explains elements of grammar, usage, and good writing that many of our foremost journalists–and the rest of us–occasionally seem to forget.

The Grammarian entreats us to truly think about what we are trying to say before we say it. "Pay attention to what your words mean and where they came from," he says, "and if you don’t know, look it up." Many professionals could have benefited from this advice–and he unashamedly points out their minor mistakes and egregious errors that, with a little thought, might have been avoided.

Much more than a straightforward manual on perfect English, The Grouchy Grammarian is a lighthearted guide for those who honor and love language and for anyone looking to avoid the pitfalls of ungrammatical writing.

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First Sentence
The grouchy grammarian instructed me to tell you at the beginning that he can't teach anybody every individual thing and neither can I, but we can "damn well" try to hound you into THINKING. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
8 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A passionate guide on how-not-to write. Jun 22 2004
By M. E. Volmar
Format:Hardcover
In "The Grouchy Grammarian", historian and long-time editor Thomas Parrish offers an easy-to-read, informational, entertaining and blithesome reference filled with advice on how to avoid 47 of the most common mistakes in English grammar.
Each topic is covered in a short chapter with a handy summary at the end for quick check-ups, and each is humorously presented through the point of view of the author's alter ego, The Grouch, a clever, witty, and very opinionated fictional curmudgeon who is a self-proclaimed guardian of grammar and calls errors "infelicities to be corrected".
Not only will The Grouch teach you the rules of grammar, usage and good writing, reinforcing his point by ruthlessly citing real-life examples of grammatical gaffes, careless errors, and basic mistakes taken from the blunders of some of today's best-known newspapers, magazines, and TV broadcasts, he will also make your learning experience enjoyable by having you laugh, chuckle or at least smile at his passionate remarks and his quixotic personality.
As a bonus, for those who wish to go deeper into the subject, the book includes a vast bibliography, and a thorough index for quick consultations.
Overall, this is an excellent resource that combines narrative and reference to help you learn or review the elements of precise writing that are most often forgotten, also throwing in for good measure some general and common sense advice on writing.
--Reviewed by M. E. Volmar
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4.0 out of 5 stars Like a well-furnished room... May 25 2004
By Algernon D'Ammassa
Format:Hardcover
At one point, author Thomas Parrish's persnickety friend, the grammar hawk referred to in the title, likens a well-constructed sentence to an automobile engine. Others may prefer Parrish's own analogy of a well-furnished room. Automobile engines suggest a highly specialized knowledge, something intimidating for those without vocational training. Pretty much anybody can set up a room that looks nice, however, and enjoy the results. A well-furnished room is a room that has everything one might need while seeming empty and spacious. Likewise, good prose has the feel not of something dense or impenetrable, but of something easy to apprehend quickly and digest. Parrish assumes the persona of a reasonable go-between, someone moves easily between the grammatically-challenged and the scowling figure, imagined yet feared, of the lexical inquisitor. The book is entertaining and reduces a lot of the mystery of grammatical usage. I keep a copy of it, along with my Strunk & White, right on my desk.
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5.0 out of 5 stars We've Needed This Book For A Long Time Feb 13 2004
By Chris Frost
Format:Hardcover
If you've ever struggled with the proper placement of an apostrophe, or the usage of "lie" or "lay", or the difference between "compliment" and "complement", this book is for you. Most English-speaking people can't speak English. Perhaps they slept through every single English class they took. Perhaps they just don't care. It's written in a very humorous, readable style that will keep you interested rather than putting you to sleep. And with all the examples of atrocious grammatical errors, it will show people just how ridiculous they sound when they can't be bothered to get it right. Every chapter has something in it that will at least get a giggle out of you. I found it especially amusing after reading his numerous bashings of editors and proofreaders, to find that his own proofreader apparently wasn't paying too much attention on page 131. This book should be required reading for anyone who speaks English and for those that only think they do. Read it, learn it, and apply it. If it doesn't actually make you smarter, at least it will make you sound smarter.
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