The Last Word: Tales from the Tip of the Mother Tongue

New
Paperback
2010
$17.08

Do you know your geek-speak from your geek-chic? Ever wanted to put Humpty Dumpty together again? Can you distinguish Spanglish from Chinglish? We adapt words from other languages, from slang, from developments in science, literature and art. Learn the advantages of having your own signature word; why the lifts in the House of Commons have posh accents; and, discover the discreet art of the loophemism. Witty and utterly delightful, The Last Word will tease, tickle and tantalise those who enjoy all things lexical.

Synopsis

Do you know your geek-speak from your geek-chic? Ever wanted to put Humpty Dumpty together again? Can you distinguish Spanglish from Chinglish? We adapt words from other languages, from slang, from developments in science, literature and art. Learn the advantages of having your own signature word; why the lifts in the House of Commons have posh accents; and, discover the discreet art of the loophemism. Witty and utterly delightful, The Last Word will tease, tickle and tantalise those who enjoy all things lexical.

$17.08

Quantity

1 in stock

More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 06 Sep 2010
ISBN 10: 1408804352
ISBN 13: 9781408804353
Book Overview: Based on his popular Times column, Ben Macintyre's The Last Word is a treat for every Christmas stocking With his signature wit, perception and enthusiasm for the idiosyncrasies of language, Ben Macintyre will delight lovers of QI Ben Macintyre's Agent Zigzag has sold over 100,000 copies (BookScan); it was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award and the Galaxy British Book Award for Biography of the Year 2008

Media Reviews

'A sprinkling of delightful nuggets about the uses and abuses of the English language' Daily Telegraph Books of the Year 'After reading The Last Word you may feel compelled to tell a fib - a poem whose syllables follow the Fibonacci sequence - one of myriad delights in Ben Macintyre's musings on language. Discover the accidental poetry of e-mail spam and the literary joy of peculiar cricketing terms' The Times Books of the Year 'Macintyre is simply a splendidly well-read man ... These pieces come up fresh and even wiser, and all the better for being so collated' Observer

Author Bio

Ben Macintyre is a columnist and Associate Editor on The Times. He has worked as the newspaper's correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. He is the author of six previous books including Agent Zigzag, which was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award and the Galaxy British Book Award for Biography of the Year 2008. He lives in London with his wife and three children.