Description
Book SynopsisTrade Review"I read about language every day, and I was still delighted and surprised by almost every page. You'll find new, splendiferous ways of looking at the men (and occasionally women) of American historyas creators of a new language as well as a new country." Mignon Fogarty , podcaster and author of Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
" Splendiferous Speech is the compelling and engaging story of American English's tumultuous adolescence, and every page will give you new appreciation of the words and expressions that make American English so vibrant." Erin McKean , founder of Wordnik and author of Totally Weird and Wonderful Words and The Secret Lives of Dresses
"A delightful tour of how America claimed English for itself, weaving together into a vibrant lexical tapestry contributions from knickerbockers and Yankees, cattle ranchers and gold prospectors, the jargon of Wall Street and the floor of Congress, and the patter of the bars and the streets." Arika Okrent , author of In the Land of Invented Languages
