Sunday, August 14, 2011

Review of Grammar Girl's 101 Misused Words by Mignon Fogarty

5 of 5 stars

I have been a fan of the Grammar Girl's website and have reposted a number of articles such as Lie vs. Lay and Who vs. Whom.  These articles can be found in the left sidebar under "Popular Guest Posts." Her website has been invaluable.  When I received Mignon's latest book, GRAMMAR GIRL'S 101 MISUSED WORDS, I was thrilled to find page after page of clear definitions and examples of the correct way to use the words.

Did you ever wonder about Hoard vs. Horde? Horde means to gather or congregate in a large group while hoard is to amass a large quantity of something. With each definition of the different similar sounding words, a "Quick & Dirty Tip" is also included to help you remember the difference.

Here's another example: Sneaked vs. snuck.  While sneaked is the recommended version, snuck has gained so much ground in the United States that experts already say it is as acceptable as "sneaked." Who knew?

These are only 2 examples contained in this fabulous little book.  If you're a writer, then GRAMMAR GIRL'S 101 MISUSED WORDS should definitely be part of your library.  Highly Recommended.

2 comments:

  1. I suppose you could make a verb out of horde, but it's more commonly a noun, from the Mongolian 'ordos', meaning camp. Hence the language spoken in the camp in northern India became known as 'Urdu'.

    The camp of the Mongolian state in Russia was so rich that it was called The Golden Horde. 'Horde' became a word to describe the people themselves.

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  2. Thanks for commenting Angry Sub-Editor. I definitely found this little book to be a great resource.

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