Imprint
- Hodder Paperbacks
- Hodder & Stoughton
linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Prose: non-fiction, Humour
Today programme presenter's Top Ten bestselling cry for better English in paperback
for summer.From empty cliche to meaningless jargon, dangling participle to sentences without verbs, the English language is reeling. It is under attack from all sides. Politicians dupe us with deliberately evasive language. Bosses worry about impacting the bottom line while they think out of the box. Academics talk obscure mumbo jumbo. Journalists and broadcasters, who should know better, lazily collaborate.
John Humphrys wittily and powerfully exposes the depths to which our beautiful language has sunk and offers many examples of the most common atrocities. He also dispenses some sensible guidance on how to use simple, clear and honest language. Above all, he shows us how to be on the alert for the widespread abuse - especially by politicians - and the power of the English language.
More books by John Humphrys
Praise for Lost For Words
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Humphrys is passionate about language - and very funny too - Rod Liddle
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Greatly enjoyable - Simon Hoggart, Guardian
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for all those who care about the English language - Ann Widdecombe, New Statesman
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It is always exhilarating to read a book which says what so many of us think - Jonathan Keates, Spectator
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Timely and lively - Sunday Telegraph
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Let us be very clear about this from the start: John Humphrys is a Good Thing - Evening Standard
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the Jack Russell of the Today programme has now chosen to take some well aimed snaps at solecism, jargon, cliche and weasel words... It is always exhilarating to read a book which says what so many of us think - Spectator
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I commend Citizen Humphrys - Daily Mail
John Humphrys
John Humphrys has reported from all over the world for the BBC and presented its frontline news programmes on both radio and television, in a broadcasting career spanning forty years. He has won a string of national awards and been described as a 'national treasure'. He owned a dairy farm for ten years and has homes in Greece and London.
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