Horrible Words

Author: Rebecca Gowers
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 1846148529
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 390

Book Description
Nothing inflames the language gripers like a misplaced disinterested, an illogical irregardless, a hideous operationalisation. To purists these are 'howlers' and 'non-words', fit only for scorn. But in their rush to condemn such terms, are the naysayers missing something? In this provocative and hugely entertaining book, Rebecca Gowers throws light on a great array of horrible words, and shows how the diktats of the pedants are repeatedly based on misinformation, false reasoning and straight-up snobbery. The result is a brilliant work of history, a surreptitious introduction to linguistics, and a mischievous salute to the misusers of the language. It is also a bold manifesto asserting our common rights over English, even as it questions the true nature of style.

Nine Nasty Words

Author: John McWhorter
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593421388
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 289

Book Description
The New York Times bestseller now in paperback. One of the preeminent linguists of our time examines the realms of language that are considered shocking and taboo in order to understand what imbues curse words with such power--and why we love them so much. Profanity has always been a deliciously vibrant part of our lexicon, an integral part of being human. In fact, our ability to curse comes from a different part of the brain than other parts of speech--the urgency with which we say "f&*k!" is instead related to the instinct that tells us to flee from danger. Language evolves with time, and so does what we consider profane or unspeakable. Nine Nasty Words is a rollicking examination of profanity, explored from every angle: historical, sociological, political, linguistic. In a particularly coarse moment, when the public discourse is shaped in part by once-shocking words, nothing could be timelier.

Horrible Words

Author: Rebecca Gowers
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 014197897X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Modern Calculus and Analytic Geometry

Author: Richard A. Silverman
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486793982
Category : Mathematics
Languages : en
Pages : 1058

Book Description
A self-contained text for an introductory course, this volume places strong emphasis on physical applications. Key elements of differential equations and linear algebra are introduced early and are consistently referenced, all theorems are proved using elementary methods, and numerous worked-out examples appear throughout. The highly readable text approaches calculus from the student's viewpoint and points out potential stumbling blocks before they develop. A collection of more than 1,600 problems ranges from exercise material to exploration of new points of theory — many of the answers are found at the end of the book; some of them worked out fully so that the entire process can be followed. This well-organized, unified text is copiously illustrated, amply cross-referenced, and fully indexed.

The Book of My Lives

Author: Aleksandar Hemon
Publisher: Macmillan + ORM
ISBN: 0374708886
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Book Description
A Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award For fans of Aleksandar Hemon's fiction, The Book of My Lives is simply indispensable; for the uninitiated, it is the perfect introduction to one of the great writers of our time. Aleksandar Hemon's lives begin in Sarajevo, a small, blissful city where a young boy's life is consumed with street soccer with the neighborhood kids, resentment of his younger sister, and trips abroad with his engineer-cum-beekeeper father. Here, a young man's life is about poking at the pretensions of the city's elders with American music, bad poetry, and slightly better journalism. And then, his life in Chicago: watching from afar as war breaks out in Sarajevo and the city comes under siege, no way to return home; his parents and sister fleeing Sarajevo with the family dog, leaving behind all else they had ever known; and Hemon himself starting a new life, his own family, in this new city. And yet this is not really a memoir. The Bookof My Lives, Hemon's first book of nonfiction, defies convention and expectation. It is a love song to two different cities; it is a heartbreaking paean to the bonds of family; it is a stirring exhortation to go out and play soccer—and not for the exercise. It is a book driven by passions but built on fierce intelligence, devastating experience, and sharp insight. And like the best narratives, it is a book that will leave you a different reader—a different person, with a new way of looking at the world—when you've finished. A Kirkus Reviews Best Nonfiction Book of 2013

Andrew's Angry Words

Author: Dorothea Lachner
Publisher: NorthSouth Books
ISBN: 9781558587694
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
When his sister trips and sends all his toys flying, Andrew lets loose a lot of nasty angry words that start to spread from person to person creating trouble wherever they go.

Words Are Not for Hurting / Las palabras no son para lastimar

Author: Elizabeth Verdick
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing
ISBN: 1575428318
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 42

Book Description
With gentle encouragement, this book teaches children that they can think before speaking, choose what to say and how to say it, and find positive ways to respond when others use unkind words. The importance of saying “I’m sorry” is reinforced. Includes tips for parents and caregivers.

The Very Inappropriate Word

Author: Jim Tobin
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (BYR)
ISBN: 1466844736
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 40

Book Description
Michael loves interesting words (hard words like ELASTIC, little words like VAST, and big words like SMITHEREENS) and is always on the lookout for words to collect. Then one day, he picks up a new word. A bad word. An inappropriate word. At least, that's what his friend says. But Michael kind of likes the word. He thinks he might try it out. At school. Bad idea.

On Cussing: Bad Words and Creative Cursing

Author: Katherine Dunn
Publisher: Tin House Books
ISBN: 1947793276
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 46

Book Description
F uck the Fuckity Fuckin’ Fucker. Readers of Katherine Dunn won’t be surprised that this was her father’s favorite sentence, or that, as a young girl, she heard it as a kind of profane poem, a secret song. For many of us, the language of Geek Love carries a similar staying power, born of Dunn’s agile use of language and her strange, beautiful diction. And as a true exegete of the expletive, she remained undividedly devoted to obscenity—both as scholar and practitioner. In On Cussing, Dunn sketches a brief history of swear words and creates something of a field guide to their types and usages, from the common threat (“I’ll squash you like a shithouse mouse”) to the portmanteau intensifier (“Fan-fucking-tastic”). But she also explores their physiology—the physical impact on the reader or listener—and makes an argument for how and when to cuss with maximum effect. Equal parts informative and hilarious, this volume will delight Dunn’s legion of fans, but it’s also a must-have for anyone looking to more successfully wield their expletives, be it in writing or in everyday speech.

Hip Hop's Horrible Nightmare

Author: Uncle Jon
Publisher: Jonnie Sears, LLC
ISBN: 173353704X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 270

Book Description
Come and join an emotional story about social redemption as seen through the eyes of Donald 'Hip Hop' Berry, a teenage high school bully. After experiencing head trauma from an automobile accident Hip Hop lies comatose on a hospital gurney when a devilish nightmare transports him back to the year 1855 and thrust him in the role of a plantation slave so he can get a taste of the disrespect he slam dunked on his fellow students. Hence, our story follows his torment when he is beaten with a bull whip; branded with a red-hot poker; forced to pick cotton; and forced to eat rotting food from a pig's trough. Finally, we will follow him and his adopted family's desperate attempt to flee the plantation with a pack of hungry dogs hot on their trail. We shall see how Hip Hop is forced to learn some valuable lessons about tolerating people different from himself, lessons that are remedial to the violent breaking news we see on TV every day. So for the sake of our families let's learn Hip Hop's lesson together; after all, can't one great lesson be enough for all of us?