Remarks on English Usage
n my spare time, I enjoy identifying common
errors of English grammar and usage and complaining bitterly about
them. As a mere amateur in this area, I claim only the most
superficial understanding of the relevant issues and generally defer
to the experts. In particular, I'm a fan of Goold Brown
(others who share my admiration for G.B. may be interested in
acquiring this commemorative
toilet kit), H. W. Fowler,
and either Wilson Follett or Jacques Barzun, depending on who is
responsible for my favorite parts of Modern American
Usage. Occasionally, however, in the spirit of Kingsley Amis's dictum,
"The defence of the language is too large a matter to be left to the
properly qualified", I offer my own observations. It is my hope that
arrogance, pedantry, and dogmatism can compensate for what I lack in
other credentials. Some of my favorite barbarisms, solecisms, and
improprieties are discussed herein.
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Some writers in this area are deserving of special attention: