Good news! America’s master wordsmith strikes again with a new collection of erudite, witty, provocative, sometimes barbed, frequently hilarious “On Language” columns. Published in The New York Times and syndicated in more than three hundred other newspapers, these opinions from the “Supreme Court of Current English Usage” cover everything from the bottom line on tycoonese and the accesses* of computerese to portmanteau words like televangelist and Draconomics (the language maven’s own plan for our bloated economy). Although Safire makes an admirable case for adverbs and adjectives, advocates of strong verbs will be heartened to hear that he also: pleads for the preservation of the subjunctive mood; delivers, hot off the college campus, the latest lingo in which ‘rents means parents and yesterday’s wimps are today’s squids; decries the brevity-is-next-to-godliness literary school; bids farewell to anxiety (it’s been replaced by trendy stress or swangst); noodles over such weighty geopolitical questions as “when an intercept of a fighter is a buzz”; bemoans the loss of roughage to fiber; and rides herd over the language spoken in Marlboro Country. More good news! Safire again spices his own wit and wisdom with correspondence from Lexicographic irregulars, those zealous readers and letter writers who reply to his columns with praise, scorn, corrections and nitpicks—anything to match wits with Super-maven. If You Could Look It Up and Take My Word for It occupy prominent spots in your bookcase, then Language Maven Strikes Again belongs there too. If they don’t, then begin with this Safire and work your way back. *That’s not a typo—that’s a pun.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist discusses contemporary figures of speech, from witty stories about expressions such as "kiss and tell" and "stab in the back" to the evolution of "read my lips." NOTE: This edition does not include illustrations.

If time travelers from the nineteenth century dropped in on us, our strange vocabulary would shock them just as much as our TVs, cars, and computers. Society changes, and so does its word stock. The Life of Language reveals how pop culture, business, technology, and other forces of globalization expand and enrich the English language, forming thousands of new words every year. In this fascinating and jargon-free guide, lexicographers Kipfer and Steinmetz reconstruct the births of thousands of words, including infantries, poz, mobs, Soho, dinks, choo choos, frankenfoods, LOL, narcs and perps. · A word lover’s guide to etymology, written in a fun, informal, and accessible style · An excellent resource for vocabulary building; a word's root helps readers understand its meaning · Beautifully packaged paperback with French flaps From the Trade Paperback edition.

America's most entertaining language maven is back with more words to live by in his latest exploration of hot catchphrases, syntactical controversies, and other matters of national linguistic importance. Before you scratch that seven-year-itch, you might want to know where it came from. And before someone blurts, "You just don't get it," perhaps you should consult the Pulitzer Prize winning language columnist on the origins of that snappy feminist motto.

Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms is a unique and much needed guide to the way many Hebrew, Yiddish, and Aramaic words and meanings are used by English speakers. Sol Steinmetz draws upon his years of dictionary editorial experience, as well as his lifelong study of Jewish history, traditions, and practices, to guide the reader through the essentially uncharted territory of Jewish usage. Dictionary of Jewish Usage clarifies the meanings of Jewish terms that have been absorbed into English, as well as the transliterated Hebrew terms from sacred texts that reflect differing pronunciations. The Dictionary also explains terms that are often misused, sheds light on the meaning of clusters of terminology, and delineates the etymology and pronunciation of many words, making this Dictionary an invaluable guide for anyone curious about Jewish usage.

A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.

Examines and provides comments on language trends while tracing the origins of timely words and phrases that discuss such topics as technology, entertainment, and everyday life.