The Revenge of Anguished English: More Accidental Assaults Upon Our Language

Richard Lederer has been called Attila the Pun, Conan the Grammarian, and the Viceroy of Verbivores. In The Revenge of Anguished English, Lederer leaves us limp with laughter at how the innocent, the negligent, and the pompous mangle the English language. Lederer loves a good verbal blooper: Unfortunate typos, misplaced modifiers, unintended double-entendres, downright stupidity---it’s all here, collected and celebrated by the most popular anguished language expert of them all. As a bonus, not a single blooper, blunder, or boo-boo has been made up or fiddled with. Consider these bloopers:

• In an essay, a student wrote, “The ship that brought the first settlers to the new world was the Cauliflower.”
• Many gas stations equipped with snack stores display the sign “Eat Here and Get Gas.”
• A classified ad offered “antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.”
• Another student blooper: The four gospels are written by John, Paul, George, and that other guy.
• A science blooper: Elephants eat roots, leaves, grasses, and sometimes bark.
• In a church bulletin: Attend and you will hear an excellent speaker and heave a healthy lunch.
• On a baby stroller: Remove child before folding.