Jazzy D's Soul Notes

James Cochrane "Between You and I: A Little Book of Bad English" (Sourcebooks)




Drawn from columns in The Times, fulminations on incorrect usage, etc. While the previous book is flexible and accepting of change, this one is a little reactionary, although it does claim to understand descriptive rather than prescriptive descriptions of language. Many of the topics are valid, with just a few being very old-fashioned.

Je has collected examples of improper English, including grammatical errors, pronunciation, and words easily confused with each other, and attempts to educate the reader as to the correct usage. Cochrane is British, and as such, all of his examples originated in that country's publications. I assume that they remain applicable to American English, but I am not sure.
The book is not pleasant to read straight through, as I soon found out, but taken in short segments, such as on break at work, it is more palatable.
Some of these common errors were well known to me, but I was horrified to learn how many I'd been going about using improperly for some time.

Dydd gwyl dewi hapus!


Oh, and it is PANCAKE DAY.

Are you having pancakes today?

Melvyn Bragg "The Adventure Of English" (Hodder & Stoughton)




Billions of people, including myself, speak English every day but we never really think about where the language comes from. What influenced it? What changes did it go through? What challenges did English face throughout the ages? Who were its friends and its enemies? Melvyn Bragg covers all these areas and a whole lot more.

Bragg tells us how English is mainly made up of French, Latin, Dutch (Frisian), and even some Arabic. We begin with the years leading up to 1066AD, with the Vikings, the Celts, and other foreign invaders who attempted to impose their language upon the lands which are now the British Isles. We begin to see the first signs of English breaking through, despite the iron grip which Latin & French seems to have in everyday life. Latin is dominant in the Church and with educated intellectuals, while the French control the Monarchy and everyday government affairs. Then we start to see what would become "Old English" and throughout the centuries, a variety of influences would shape English into what it is today, thanks to contributions from stalwarts such as Shakespeare & Chaucer.

English then goes over the water into the "New World", the Pilgrims landing in America with their strict religious views and their determination to make English the dominant language in America, despite there being other nationalities in America - again the French, the Dutch, the Portuguese even. But eventually, English wins the day and takes its rightful place in the world.

After reading this book, you will develop a new appreciation for the English language and the battles it had to go through to get to where it is today. Complete with illustrations, this book is probably the best book available on the history of the English language. Easy to read, a joy to read, and a fountain of information and knowledge. Highly recommended.