Blooming English, Kate Burridge, 9780521548328, Cambridge University Press, paperback

Blooming English
Observations on the Roots, Cultivation and Hybrids of the English Language

• Published: May 2004
• format: Paperback
• isbn: 9780521548328

English is the most creative, changeable and imaginative of languages. Some words are invented to meet temporary needs and are quickly discarded; others carry meanings hundreds of years old. Language fascinates us, and we spend a lot of time playing with it, concocting everything from puns, riddles and secret languages to wonderful prose and poetry. We also worry about it a great deal, looking up and checking words in dictionaries and usage guides, occasionally arguing about definitions. This book celebrates our capacity to play with language, as well as examining the ways we use it: in slang and jargon, swearing, speaking the unspeakable, or concealing unpleasant or inconvenient facts. It is a book for browsing, for finding beguiling snippets about language, history and social customs, and a formidable weapon in word games.

'Blooming English is easy to read, informative and entertaining … Anyone interested in the English language should get it. Enjoy!' Herald Sun