Part of the pleasure of this book is to reveal the provenance of the well-worn quote (or misquote)—my cup runneth over, ay, there’s the rub, to err is human, the spice of life—but al
The English language is a versatile and agile thing, and as our world changes, so too does the way we use it. Aspirin, television, selfie—there was a time when these creations didn’t exist, but rather
Her Ladyship has unmatched manners. In fact, her etiquette is fit for the Queen! Let her guide you through every situation, formal and everyday, with tongue-in-cheek yet practical advice on proper beh
Wherever you are, whatever the company, proper English will always stand you in good stead. However, the world's most important language does have a number of difficult areas and pitfalls for the unwa
The ability to engage and entertain your companions always stands you in good stead—but many people feel nervous with strangers or fear that they lack the skills to put others at ease. Fortunately, He
Sunday Times bestselling author Caroline Taggart brings her usual gently humorous approach to punctuation, pointing out what really matters and what doesn't. In Roman times, blocks of text were comm
If you've forgotten the capital city of Chile; the basics of osmosis; how to solve a quadratic equation; the names of the Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice; who wrote the famous poem about daffodi
How many times have you wished that you'd been taught Latin at school? Or that your history stretched all the way back to Greek and Roman myths and legends? Or perhaps you wish you knew all about the
CRESTFALLEN at CHICANERY and CIRCUMLOCUTION? Have no TRUCK with TOMFOOLERY and TRUMPERY? Or OMNISCIENT about OBLOQUIES and OPSIMATHS? Whether you've answered yes, no or 'sorry, I didn't catch that', 5
A runaway hit and Sunday Times bestseller in 2008, My Grammar and I has continued to grow in popularity, becoming the go-to guide for grammar. Repackaged with a fresh jacket design, this much-loved gi
Don't know Heracles from Herodotus? Many of us wish that we could fill in the gaps in our education in order to avoid those embarrassing situations when we feel as if we don't know things that others
We take summer holidays for granted but, back in the 1940s, the picture was very different. War had gripped Britain. Wave after wave of bombs fell, beaches were closed off, and petrol was rationed by
In Roman times, blocks of text were written without even wordspacingnevermindpunctuation. Orators would prepare carefully so that they didn’t get confused between, say, therapists and the rapist
Don’t be down in the dumps if you can’t cut the mustard when asked the definition of certain phrases—this down-to-earth guide is just the ticket. This collection contains some fascinating and remarkab
This book looks at some of the controversial aspects of English usage—grammar, vocabulary, and punctuation—and tries to assess what matters and what doesn’t. Looking at why it pays t
