Gentle Grammarian #5: Read it and weep

Pie Day, 2009—The Gentle Grammarian loves to find obscure reference books from which to pull life’s little grammar lessons. Among the more esoteric tomes in G.G.’s collection are the Prentice Hall Grammar and Composition, Level 2, found at a garage sale and previously used at the Marcus Whitman Jr. High from 1988 to 1991 by Diane, Darrel, Dawn, Missy, Shannon and Donnie, none of whom seem to have used it much because it’s in tip-top condition.

Alongside the no-hanky-panky textbooks on G.G.’s shelves are some funny, enjoyable books that make learning about our mother tongue easier to swallow. (G.G. cannot resist a pun.) And so, with apologies to Carole Svensson (Library) and her “Book Dirt” column, venture on to read about G.G.’s favorite reference books, highly recommended for your seasonal wish list.

These are a few of the Gentle Grammarian’s favorite reads:

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation
By Lynne Truss
Written by a British freelance journalist with a wicked sense of humor—proving, once again, that punctuation can be funny. From this book the Gentle Grammarian found out that in England, they don’t call the punctuation mark at the end of a sentence a “period.” They call it a “full stop.” Those crazy Brits.

Woe Is I: The Grammarphobe’s Guide to Better English in Plain English
By Patricia T. O’Conner
This book was one of the Gentle Grammarian’s early influences. Lots of brief, easy tips, such as the difference between “nauseated” and “nauseous,” written with a temperate sense of humor. O’Conner includes a delightful example of a dangling modifier:

   “Dumpy and overweight, the vet says our dog needs more exercise.”

Je Ne Sais What?: A Guide to de rigueur Frenglish for Readers, Writers, and Speakers
By Jon Winokur
This one isn’t actually about the mother tongue, of course, but one of the languages we love to steal from, by the author of The Portable Curmudgeon. This book lists hundreds of French phrases, their pronunciation (very important), their definition and scattered usage examples.

Lacing a bit of French into one’s conversation and writing gives one a certain savoir-faire, n’est-ce pas?

Some (hint, hint) books on G.G.’s wish list:

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language for Fun and Spite
By June Casagrande
The first page of this book sounds perfect for the Gentle Grammarian: “Grammar snobs come in two forms: amateur and pro. Amateur grammar snobs are a lot like amateur gynecologists—they’re everywhere, they’re all too eager to offer their services, and they’re anything but gentle. They include the guy at the party who says, ‘From where did you get the recipe for this torte?’”

Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing
By Mignon Fogarty
Grammar Girl, much like the Gentle Grammarian (G.G. and G.G.: a coincidence?), doesn’t believe in getting all up in people’s faces. Here’s a note from her introduction: “Although writing badly is like dressing in lime skorts and an orange plaid sweater—people notice—publicly correcting a stranger’s writing is as rude as asking someone with a fashion problem, ‘Did you think that looked good when you got dressed this morning?’”

Eats, Shoots & Leaves: Why, Commas Really Do Make a Difference!
By Lynne Truss
The sequel.