Cultural Writing. Linguistics. In his fifth book about language, Howard Richler moves from A to Z with a specifically chosen word for every letter of the alphabet. What especially intrigues him is how words come to mean what they mean, how they lose some meanings and gain others. Always humorous, Richler invites readers into the intimacy of language and allows us to delight in the ever-shifting glories of English. Among the questions he asks are the following: What is the proper designation for a person older than sixty-five? What constitutes "marriage?" Should "niggardly" be regarded as offensive? Is there a difference between an "abortionist" and an "abortion provider?" Not since Lynn Truss's Eats, Shoots & Leaves has a book about language been so hilarious and informative. This book is a must not only for the bookshelves of all logophiles, but also as the bible for the many family members and friends whose get-togethers often spark lively linguistic argument. Howard Richler is a long-time language journalist who has written four previous books on language.

Author City: Montreal, ON CAN

Howard Richler is a longtime language journalist who has written many books on language: Can I Have a Word with You? (Ronsdale Press, 2007) Global Mother Tongue: The Eight Flavours of English (Vehicule Press, 2007), A Bawdy Language: How a Second-Rate Language Slept Its Way to the Top (Stoddart, 1999), Take My Words: A Wordaholic's Guide to the English Language (Ronsdale Press, 1996), and The Dead Sea Scroll Palindromes (Robert Davies Publishing, 1995). Richler makes his home in Montreal.