603 records matched your query       

Author:

Okrent, Arika, author.

Title:

Highly irregular : why tough, through, and dough don't rhyme-and other oddities of the English language / Arika Okrent ; illustrated by Sean O'Neill.

Publisher:

Oxford University Press,

Copyright Date:

2021

Description:

viii, 264 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Subject:

English language--History.--History.
English language--Pronunciation.

Other Authors:

O'Neill, Sean, 1968- illustrator.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [251]-254) and index.

Contents:

What the hell, English? -- Blame the barbarians -- Blame the French -- Blame the printing press -- Blame the snobs -- Blame ourselves -- That's enough now, English.

Summary:

"Perhaps you're reading a book and stop to puzzle over absurd spelling rules, or you hear someone talking and get stuck on an expression, or your kid quizzes you on homework. Suddenly you ask yourself, "Wait, why do we do it this way?" You think about it, try to explain it, and keep running into walls. It doesn't conform to logic. It doesn't work the way you'd expect it to. There doesn't seem to be any rule at all. In Highly Irregular, Arika Okrent answers these questions and many more. Along the way she tells the story of the many influences--from invading French armies to stubborn Flemish printers--that made our language the way it is today"-- Provided by publisher.

ISBN:

0197539408
9780197539408

OCLC:

(OCoLC)1198016617

LCCN:

2021004585

Locations:

KSPG296 -- Burlington Public Library (Burlington)

UQAX771 -- Des Moines Area Community College Library - Ankeny (Carroll)

TDPH826 -- Davenport Public Library (Davenport)

FXPH314 -- Carnegie-Stout Public Library (Dubuque)

CAPH522 -- Iowa City Public Library (Iowa City)

CPPC926 -- Kalona Public Library (Kalona)

GAAX314 -- Northeast Iowa Community College Library - Peosta (Peosta)