Mother Tongue
Bryson, Bill. Mother Tongue. Penguin ISBN 0-14-014305-X
I defy any language fascist to survive a reading of this book. As usual Bryson is informative AND amusing.
Though I probably should return the copy I borrowed and buy my own.
Who gives a F***?
Look. Language is a tool. There is no point arguing the toss over usage. Or attempting to prove one's intellectual superiority by brow-beating others. Or discounting words simply because they are Americanisms. Read Bill Bryson's Mother Tongue, and then you'll see.
I must admit, however, that in the past I've been a bit of a language fascist. The usage of the word "irony", and the pronunciation of "schedule" are just two of my major language annoyances. I try real hard to avoid pedantry. Trust me, I really do. But once in a while... in self defence I do let rip.
Most recently when somebody had a go at the way I said "bath".
Sorry about that.