I’ve written this book for your pleasure as well as my own. It’s to introduce you to some oddities and curiosities of our language. For example, words that are used only in the negative, a word that changes its pronunciation when capitalized, words used only in a single phrase or expression, or in a single compound word, a word which takes on an entirely different meaning when pluralized, and others.
There’s nothing to memorize in this book. It’s just for your pleasure, your wonderment, your fun and your interest. I try to explain where each of these words came from and how they got their unusual meanings. I show how English was influenced by other languages, especially French. I especially hope that you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If you have some other oddities that you’d like to add, please let me know, as this book is in embryo form. If the various odd words you’ve suggested seem to fit I’ll try to add them into the next edition. The same for corrections, comments or suggestions. I explain how to contact me in the Introduction to the book.
I’ve written more than a dozen previous books about words, many are books about French words for English speaking readers who are learning French, but there are also books about English words for French speakers learning English. However it was a third category, my books about all the French words that we English speakers use without knowing it, that first gave me the idea for this book.
You’ll find that this book, “Oddities and Curiosities of The English Language,” follows the same format as the other books. That is, it’s written in a conversational voice, and it’s meant to be fun to read, an absolute pleasure, and not a chore.
I’m attaching some comments about my other books below, as this one is just being published now for the first time. You’ll have to remember that the comments below are NOT about this book, but they should give you a good idea what people have thought about my previous books. And how can you go wrong for under a dollar?
Read what professors and others have written about MY PREVIOUS BOOKS:
I have to tell you, this book is so much fun to read! --- Catherine Ostrow, Lecturer, Wesleyan
I was telling my husband (who doesn’t speak French), about all the French he already speaks without knowing it. Your book is indeed a lot of fun to read. --- Prof. Brigitte Humbert, Middlebury
Nice work! The whole series is impressive. --- Prof. Jonathan Walsh, Wheaton
What a marvelous book! Bravo and keep up the good work! –- Prof. Ruth Koizim, Yale
I think your books are wonderful. --- Prof. Judy Baughin, Raymond Walters College
You have done a real service to learners of French...This is important work. --- Prof. John Romeiser, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
I have to say your Key Words and Expressions is just the kind of book I would have liked to have had when I was teaching myself French oh-so-many years ago. --- Professor John Moran, Director of Language Programs, NYU
I love the Faux Amis, especially the relaxed, conversational presentation. ---- Professor Norman Shapiro, Wesleyan University
Your little books are great! ---- Professor AG Fralin, Washington and Lee University
I love your books! They are easy to navigate, and they are extremely useful. ---- Professor John Turvaville, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The books are excellent.---- Professor Luke Bouvier, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
I've been perusing Key Words for the past couple of days and it's great fun… What a great idea for a book! --- Professor Herta Rodina, Ohio University
This book (Key Words) is easily one of the best and most important French resources I own (and I've got dozens of them)... It's amazing, absolutely amazing how this book has improved my understanding of spoken French. – reader reviewer, amazon.com
There’s nothing to memorize in this book. It’s just for your pleasure, your wonderment, your fun and your interest. I try to explain where each of these words came from and how they got their unusual meanings. I show how English was influenced by other languages, especially French. I especially hope that you enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it.
If you have some other oddities that you’d like to add, please let me know, as this book is in embryo form. If the various odd words you’ve suggested seem to fit I’ll try to add them into the next edition. The same for corrections, comments or suggestions. I explain how to contact me in the Introduction to the book.
I’ve written more than a dozen previous books about words, many are books about French words for English speaking readers who are learning French, but there are also books about English words for French speakers learning English. However it was a third category, my books about all the French words that we English speakers use without knowing it, that first gave me the idea for this book.
You’ll find that this book, “Oddities and Curiosities of The English Language,” follows the same format as the other books. That is, it’s written in a conversational voice, and it’s meant to be fun to read, an absolute pleasure, and not a chore.
I’m attaching some comments about my other books below, as this one is just being published now for the first time. You’ll have to remember that the comments below are NOT about this book, but they should give you a good idea what people have thought about my previous books. And how can you go wrong for under a dollar?
Read what professors and others have written about MY PREVIOUS BOOKS:
I have to tell you, this book is so much fun to read! --- Catherine Ostrow, Lecturer, Wesleyan
I was telling my husband (who doesn’t speak French), about all the French he already speaks without knowing it. Your book is indeed a lot of fun to read. --- Prof. Brigitte Humbert, Middlebury
Nice work! The whole series is impressive. --- Prof. Jonathan Walsh, Wheaton
What a marvelous book! Bravo and keep up the good work! –- Prof. Ruth Koizim, Yale
I think your books are wonderful. --- Prof. Judy Baughin, Raymond Walters College
You have done a real service to learners of French...This is important work. --- Prof. John Romeiser, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
I have to say your Key Words and Expressions is just the kind of book I would have liked to have had when I was teaching myself French oh-so-many years ago. --- Professor John Moran, Director of Language Programs, NYU
I love the Faux Amis, especially the relaxed, conversational presentation. ---- Professor Norman Shapiro, Wesleyan University
Your little books are great! ---- Professor AG Fralin, Washington and Lee University
I love your books! They are easy to navigate, and they are extremely useful. ---- Professor John Turvaville, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The books are excellent.---- Professor Luke Bouvier, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
I've been perusing Key Words for the past couple of days and it's great fun… What a great idea for a book! --- Professor Herta Rodina, Ohio University
This book (Key Words) is easily one of the best and most important French resources I own (and I've got dozens of them)... It's amazing, absolutely amazing how this book has improved my understanding of spoken French. – reader reviewer, amazon.com
