Um. . .: Slips, Stumbles, and Verbal Blunders, and What They Mean
Aug 2007 · Sold by Anchor
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3 reviews
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320
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About this ebook
Essential reading for talkers and listeners of all stripes: An original, entertaining, and surprising book that investigates verbal blunders: what they are, what they say about those who make them, and how and why we've come to judge them.
“An enjoyable tour of linguistic mishaps.” —The New York Times Book Review
Um... is about how you really speak, and why it's normal for your everyday speech to be filled with errors—about one in every ten words. In this charming, engaging account of language in the wild, linguist and writer Michael Erard also explains why our attention to some blunders rises and falls. Where did the Freudian slip come from? Why do we prize "umlessness" in speaking—and should we? And how do we explain the American presidents who are famous for their verbal stumbles?
“An enjoyable tour of linguistic mishaps.” —The New York Times Book Review
Um... is about how you really speak, and why it's normal for your everyday speech to be filled with errors—about one in every ten words. In this charming, engaging account of language in the wild, linguist and writer Michael Erard also explains why our attention to some blunders rises and falls. Where did the Freudian slip come from? Why do we prize "umlessness" in speaking—and should we? And how do we explain the American presidents who are famous for their verbal stumbles?
Essential reading for talkers and listeners of all stripes: An original, entertaining, and surprising book that investigates verbal blunders: what they are, what they say about those who make them, and how and why we've come to judge them.
“An enjoyable tour of linguistic mishaps.” —The New Yor...
Ratings and reviews
3 reviews
A Google user
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Truly a journey down memory lane for any one who speaks. Don't we all bloop, spoon, and malaprop all over the place? I especially enjoyed the history of Ralph Smedley and Dale Carnegie with their belief that every man (yes, man) should be educated to speak well, not only the preachers and the lawyers. And their dogged determination at democratization of education.
Toastmasters today still exemplifies this, whether at my Clearwater club Bagel Talk or at any other of the 13,000 world-wide, including nearly 5,000 corporate clubs. We all blunder through our daily lives, but the opportunity to get better among like-minded club members shows that Michael Erard was right when he wrote Um it is human nature and can be addressed when understood.
Dave Baker
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July 1, 2016
S h i t
About the author
MICHAEL ERARD, a graduate of Williams College, received an M.A. in linguistics and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas. His articles about language have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, Science, Seed, The Texas Observer, and many other publications. His website is www.michaelerard.com. He lives in Austin, Texas, and Portland, Maine.
MICHAEL ERARD, a graduate of Williams College, received an M.A. in linguistics and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas. His articles about language have appeared in The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, Science, Seed, The Texas Observer, and many other publications. His website is...
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