Product Description

"Anu Garg’s many readers await their A Word A Day rations hungrily. Now at last here’s a feast for them and other verbivores. Eat up!"
–Barbara Wallraff
Senior Editor at The Atlantic Monthly and author of Word Court

Praise for A Word a Day

"AWADies will be familiar with Anu Garg’s refreshing approach to words: words are fun and they have fascinating histories. The people who use them have curious stories to tell too, and this collection incorporates some of the correspondence received by the editors at the AWAD site, from advice on how to outsmart your opponent in a duel (or even a truel) to a cluster of your favorite mondegreens.The words are grouped in intriguing categories that range from "Portmanteaux" to "Words That Make the Spell-Checker Ineffective." each entry includes a concise definition, etymology, and usage example–and many feature fascinating and hilarious commentaries by A Word A Day subscribers and the authors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #210522 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-11
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780471230328
• Condition: USED - VERY GOOD
• Notes:
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Review
"A delightful, quirky collection." -- The New York Times, November 28, 2002

"Extraordinary words." -- Chicago Tribune, November 24, 2002

"Indefatigably jaunty hilarity." -- The Observer (UK), January 19, 2003

"Part reference work, part entertainment, English teachers, Scrabble addicts, solvers of crossword puzzles, and other bibliophages will enjoy this book." -- Times Literary Supplement (UK), January 21, 2003

"Triggers the kind of passionate reaction that actors, authors and memoirists would die for." -- USA Today, January 1, 2003

“…Uncommon English words to enrich your vocabulary…” (India Today, 7 July 2003)

Review
"Anu and Stuti Gargs many readers await their A Word A Day rations hungrily. Now at last here's a feast for them and other verbivores. Eat up!" —Barbara Wallraff, senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly and authors of Word Court

"AWADies will be familiar with Anu and Stuti Gargs refreshing approach to words: words are fun and they have fascinating histories. The people who use them have curious stories to tell too, and this collection incorporates some of the correspondence received by the editors at the AWAD site, from advice on how to outsmart your opponent in a duel (or even a truel), to a cluster of your favorite mondegreens." —John Simpson, Chief Editor, Oxford English Dictionary

"A banquet of words! Feast and be nourished!" —Richard Lederer, author of The Miracle of Language

From the Publisher
"Anu and Stuti Garg's many readers await their A Word A Day rations hungrily. Now at last here's a feast for them and other verbivores. Eat up!"
(Barbara Wallraff, senior editor at The Atlantic Monthly and authors of Word Court)

"AWADies will be familiar with Anu and Stuti Garg's refreshing approach to words: words are fun and they have fascinating histories. The people who use them have curious stories to tell too, and this collection incorporates some of the correspondence received by the editors at the AWAD site, from advice on how to outsmart your opponent in a duel (or even a truel), to a cluster of your favorite mondegreens." (John Simpson, Chief Editor, Oxford English Dictionary)

"A banquet of words! Feast and be nourished!" (Richard Lederer, author of The Miracle of Language)

Customer Reviews

A warning about the length...
The reviewers I read echo my thoughts about this book -- I liked it a lot -- but they fail to warn how short it really is. There are 55 chapters, but most are 3 pages long, generously spaced, and the third page often has half or more of it as trailing blank space so the next chapter can start a new page. You can read it cover to cover in one sitting, so it's not much bang for the buck.

Buy the book, though. The quotations alone are worth the price, and Anu deserves some return for the AWAD website that he has provided free of charge for nearly 10 years. But the book would have been a much better value if it had been twice the length, which it could easily have been, given Anu's virtuosity.

A Word A Day is a gift of love from the Garg family
Anu Garg dreams of a "society (that) will replace guns with dictionaries." This utopian hope is unfortunately not likely to ever occur. Nonetheless, the author of this "romp through some of the most unusual and intriguing words in English" is doing his utmost to make the world a better place. Many loyal subscribers have long been receiving his free daily "Wordsmith" e-mail that serves to expand our knowledge and understanding of the English language. Garg takes us along on a journey to explore a myriad collection of words that aid us in communicating with each other. Ever wondered what one should call a group of Pheasants? What about annus mirabilis? Anu Garg will gladly tell you. He will also explain the meaning of a clochard or a massif.

The English language is constantly evolving. Those who lived in the Middle Ages would be bewildered by the common tongue of today. Our democratic culture guarantees that English will never ossify and be under the control of an elite oligarchy. We will keep on adding more words and reinterpreting some in new ways previously thought not acceptable. Thus, Anu Garg will never be able to rest knowing that his task is finished. He has a job for life. The author thankfully possesses more than sufficient talent to handle these responsibilities. Almost certainly Garg's delightful wife Stuti and their wonderful five year old daughter Ananya will continue to offer their assistance. This is a fantastic book that should definitely grace your personal bookshelf. Moreover, it also makes a splendid gift for just about any occasion.

makes a great gift for word lovers
I'm a loyal fan of AWAD, so I knew what to expect from this book and wasn't disappointed. Each chapter has several odd words, with their histories and examples of how they can be used. But for me, the best part of Anu's writing is the selection of quotes that appear at the bottom of each page in small print. Anu Garg has more fun with words than just about anyone around. You can't read him for very long without picking up his enthusiasm. I hope all AWAD readers will get a copy of this as a gift for others--spread the word!