{"product_id":"wordwatching-field-notes-from-an-amateur-philologist","title":"Wordwatching\t\t\t\t\tField Notes from an Amateur Philologist","description":"\u003cp\u003eA bonzer discussion of the strange pedigree of the naughty, nice, and, sometimes, obscene English language.\u003cbr\u003e                     We live in a torrent of words - from radio and television, books  and newspapers, and now from the Internet. But, as Julian Burnside  reminds us in this witty and erudite collection, words are a source of  both pleasure and power, and can be deployed for good or for ill.\u003cbr\u003e                     Some of these essays explore curiosities in odd corners of the  language simply to remind us of the extraordinary richness of the  English language- we learn, for example, that the word 'pedigree' refers  to the shape of a stork's foot, and that 'halcyon' recalls an early  Greek love story. Other pieces use small matters of language to  illustrate larger processes of cultural borrowing and change. Burnside's  musings remind us that we should not be alarmed at the instability of  the language; rather, we should see its wanton borrowings as a source of  strength and vitality.\u003cbr\u003e                     Wordwatching also reminds us of the need to be aware of  the misuse of language in the service of sinister purposes - whether  political, ideological, social, or personal. An ear well tuned to the  nuances of vocabulary inoculates the hearer against this epidemic of  deception.\u003cbr\u003e                     Containing 56 delightful essays dealing with subjects as diverse  as deadlines, fancy words, the problems with 'issue', odd sounds, the  delicate etymology of 'tawdry', and the fallacy of 'wading in', Wordwatching is a fascinating demonstration of the power and the pleasure of the English language.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAuthor: Julian Burnside\u003cbr\u003eFormat: Paperback\u003cbr\u003eEdition: Revised\u003cbr\u003eNumber of Pages: 342\u003cbr\u003ePublisher: Scribe Publications\u003cbr\u003ePublication Date: 05 Dec 2013\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Thryft x Books for Charity","offers":[{"title":"Like New","offer_id":50668636209433,"sku":"PE1460","price":18.77,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Very Good","offer_id":50668636242201,"sku":"PE1460","price":15.95,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Good","offer_id":50668636274969,"sku":"PE1460","price":14.36,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Well Read","offer_id":50668636307737,"sku":"PE1460","price":13.56,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0110\/0598\/4849\/files\/1921640170.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg?v=1793972882","url":"https:\/\/thryft.sbs\/products\/wordwatching-field-notes-from-an-amateur-philologist","provider":"Thryft","version":"1.0","type":"link"}