Rebel Without a Clause. Losing the linguistic plot…
By Sue Butler Pan Macmillan Australia 2020 Attention word nerds, here is a book for you. Formerly a Macquarie Dictionary Editor, Sue Butler’s ruminations on the way that Australian English language has evolved and transformed is humorous and insightful. From metaphors, clichés and prefixes gone awry, she takes us on a leisurely journey to understand why people say the things they do and what they really mean. A favourite of mine is the discussion around the word inflammable. Does this mean that it will or will not burst into flames? Too serious to get wrong, a new word has now been invented to ensure understanding: ‘nonflammmable’. For someone like me, who gets all manner of sayings wrong, this was a treasure to read.
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What's this about?As a lover of books and a teacher, I read widely. Here you will find book reviews of many genres including picture story, middle grade fiction, graphic novels, women's fiction, short story anthologies, non-fiction and anything else that takes my fancy. Archives
January 2022
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