{"product_id":"origins-of-the-specious-myths-and-misconceptions-of-the-english-language","title":"Origins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language","description":"\u003ch1\u003eOrigins of the Specious: Myths and Misconceptions of the English Language\u003c\/h1\u003eStewart Kellerman,Patricia T O'Conner\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Random House Publishing Group\u003cbr\u003eAugust 24 2010\u003cbr\u003eEAN: 9780812978100\u003cbr\u003eISBN: 0812978102\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eItems marked as \u003cb\u003eWAREHOUSE\u003c\/b\u003e may take additional time to be delivered to your address or picked up in the store.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSynopsis: Do you cringe when a talking head pronounces \"niche\" as NITCH? Do you get bent out of shape when your teenager begins a sentence with \"and\"? Do you think British spellings are more \"civilised\" than the American versions? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you're myth-informed. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003cb\u003eOrigins of the Specious\u003c\/b\u003e, word mavens Patricia T. O'Conner and Stewart Kellerman reveal why some of grammar's best-known \"rules\" aren't--and never were--rules at all. This playfully witty, rigorously researched book sets the record straight about bogus word origins, politically correct fictions, phony français, fake acronyms, and more. Here are some shockers: \"They\" was once commonly used for both singular and plural, much the way \"you\" is today. And an eighteenth-century female grammarian, of all people, is largely responsible for the all-purpose \"he.\" From the Queen's English to street slang, this eye-opening romp will be the toast of grammarphiles and the salvation of grammarphobes. Take our word for it.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"27th Letter Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44125299540013,"sku":null,"price":0.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0673\/3588\/0749\/files\/original_9592568c-cac2-46aa-8733-7da934068c24.jpg?v=1759134471","url":"https:\/\/27thletterbooks.com\/products\/origins-of-the-specious-myths-and-misconceptions-of-the-english-language","provider":"27th Letter Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}