Crazy English

This book is an easy and fun read. Great for those who are interested in the oddities of the English language. Recommended for fans of George Carlin, the comedian. Also recommended for teachers and professors who are looking for interesting and entertaining examples to use in class.

Richard Lederer's books are great. I love reading about the English language and Lederer's books are so much fun, they're worth reading even if you don't share my passion for language.

Ever pick up a book to look up a fact or check your knowledge on something, and wind up losing track of time? I do that with this book far too often . . . and I never regret it. You can use "Crazy English" as a reference if you like, but what author Richard Lederer does best is make you chuckle at all the oddities of the English language.This book is literally (ha!) packed with word origins, semantics, "confused" phrases, funny figures of speech, and even categories of words I didn't even know had a name (the "nyms"). The chapter about the doctor who speaks only in palindromes is a classic. Lederer's wit plays right into the theme of the book, and I would bet he had as much fun writing it as I have reading it. No need to start at the beginning; just open to any page and bounce around. It's all great fun, and easy reading.

This book gave wonderful definitions of some of the most odd and frustrating topics in the english language. I loved it!

I teach English in Japan and not only is this book interesting but it gave me good ideas for teaching. I laughed out loud several times. English is indeed crazy!