Good book for a grammar pedant? Apart from Eats Shoots and Leaves, obviously

[HowTheFillyjonkStoleChristmas]

for dp

something which is maybe a bit more meaty

something going into the etymology of words would also be good

hmm

any thoughts?

Anything here grab you?

yes

there are some there

hmm

see I don't get grammar pedantry so am not really sure what grammar pedants like

aside from correct use of "less than" and "fewer"of course

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

prni that looks interesting

will google further later but that looks like the sort of thing

dp is tending now toward lawerlyness and pedantism...

My poor Dad is such a pedant that he received 4 copies of Eats Shoots and Leaves for Christmas one year.

It was all anyone could think to get him!

I'd be interested in any other books like this to give the miserable toad some variety

am going to go with prunis book

we have 3 copies of eats shoots and leaves. 2 for dp but one for me...

Bill Bryson did an ok one, I think? Can't remember any more about it, sorry

Steven Pinker's The Lanuguage Instinct

He's a well known psychologist at Harvard & does research on language and cognition. This book talks about the development of language - structure, how we learn to speak & the formation of new dialects etc so lots of grammar involved. It's technical but quite readable. He has another book called Words & Rules but I haven't read that.

HTH

Bill Bryson's is Mother Tongue and anything by David Crystal is good too. Also Lost for words by John Humphreys.

I've got all of the books mentioned apart from sin and syntax...What does that say about me? Will probably ask for sin and syntax if anyone wants an idea this year!

mother tongue have got

steven pinker...um...let us say that dp does not agree with him. He's a bit of an evolutionary psychologist/IQ fan on the quiet, I think, and dp is not. But thanks for idea.

will check out other links...sin and syntax still looking good...

What about unspeak or Lost for words, John Humprys

Fowler's Modern English Usage is the Bible for writers. Anyone who cares about language should own a copy.
Usage and Abusage by Eric Partridge is a key text.
Can also recommend John Humphrys' book.

Think Jeremy Paxman wrote a book on the English language which I vaguely recall enjoying.

I really like George Orwell's writing. Why I Write is, I think, a work of modest genius. I write for a living and find him inspirational still.

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

I'm sure I posted on this thread last week, but there is no sign now.... the most popular grammar book before Eats Shoots was "The Transitive Vampire". Look on Amazon for various versions.