Fowler's Modern English Usage

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For generations, lovers of the English language have turned to trusty copies of Fowler's to settle nagging grammatical questions, or, for true hard-core language junkies, for the sheer fun of reading H. W. Fowler's classic outrage contained in entries on "Hackneyed Phrases" or "Pedantic-Humour Words."

The New Fowler's Modern English Usage, the first revision in more than 30 years, has not arrived without controversy. Some language (and Fowler) purists complain that the book is too liberal at times, noting that usage is common as opposed to correct. Those points are debatable, and, indeed, they're what makes the book's nearly 900 pages so interesting to peruse. The currency of the new Fowler's extends to, in the entry on "Vogue Words," such novelties as "couch potato," "flavour of the month," "on a roll," and the notorious "parameter."

Book Description

Fowler's Modern English Usage is the world-famous guide to English usage, loved and used by writers of all kinds. In keeping with its long tradition, Fowler's gives comprehensive and practical advice on grammar, syntax, style, and choice of words. It gives a clear and authoritative picture of the English we use, and elucidates many scores of usage questions such as the split infinitive and the intricacies of political correctness. It gives in-depth coverage of both British and American English with reference to the English of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. The volume includes wide-ranging examples of usage from a broad selection of newspapers, journals, and books from across the globe, and features illustrative quotations from authors such as Agatha Christie, Chinua Achebe, Iris Murdoch, Harold Pinter, and Noel Coward. Based on the evidence and research of the Oxford Dictionaries Programme, this is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to usage available. The third edition of 1996 provided a complete revision and an expansion of the original text, bringing the book fully up to date on all matters of grammar, usage, syntax, and style. This is a reissue of the revised third edition of 1998, which includes a new Supplement and revised entries. Replaces isbn 0198602634.

Customer Reviews:

the Best 4 the Best.......2007-01-04

I've used the first three editions of this book, and find the second edition to be the most useful and interesting. I do not recommend any of this series to the casual English speaker who would only like to avoid glaring grammatical mistakes; there are simpler guides better targeting this. Key to efficiently benefiting from this book is knowing when to consult it. Thus, this book is best appreciated by someone with an already strong verbal command who recognizes opportunities to make subtle improvements.

Fowler is indispensible - but..........2006-12-26

Find a used second edition. In good shape, because you will wear it out.
Probably the most useful reference for a writer in addition to a good
style manual. Not just the what but the why - with wonderful examples.

Essential Writer's Reference.......2006-08-29

Without this book on your shelf, how can you be sure when to use 'further' rather than 'farther,' 'that' instead of 'which'? You can't--it's an essential reference for every writer--fiction or nonfiction--who wants his or her work to show itself at the level of commercial professionalism.

The Modern Language Classic "Fowler" is available for curmudgeons..........2006-01-13

...but it is out of date. The fact is that feminism has forced us to recognize (for example) that the ambiguity of "he" MEANS something, namely, the very idea of patriarchal speaking-for, and more generally the notion of speaking-for-another.

The fact is that demotic speech, in ignoring tense rules that are themselves demotic with respect to older layers, is a bold attempt to make sense of that which is deliberately and with classist and racist intent obfuscated.

The irony, the paradox, is that the curmudgeon at one and the same time insists on being quite prolix on a fine Fowler point, but when an attempt is made to be equally prolix on matters of linguistic justice, that very same curmudgeon paints himself with woad and reverts to barbarism.

Underneath the academic gown is brute force, in other words.

If you want to be a professional bore and ass, if you long to be a Dead on arrival White Male, by all means get the "real" Fowler which is available, along with other antiques, as an Oxford Language Classic. If you want to communicate, get this "Fowler's".

In Fowler's day, there was indeed a need for precision which Fowler fulfilled. This need remains, but more important is a need for justice and for fairness which excludes the very idea of speaking-for and deliberate exclusion.

Not what the doctor ordered.......2005-12-14

Frankly I think this 3rd edition should be pulped. The 2nd edition was authoritative and prescriptive. If I want to hear or read how people speak now, I only need to refer to my graduate students. I don't think we need a book that validates the continuing decline of the language.

A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (The Oxford Library of English Usage ; V. 2)

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The standard to which all the others are compared
The standard upon which the others are built
A great reference but not for the faint of heart
The classic usage guide; everyone should have one
A unique reference book

A Dictionary of Modern English Usage (The Oxford Library of English Usage ; V. 2)
H. W. Fowler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0198691157

Amazon.com

A guide to precise phrases, grammar, and pronunciation can be key; it can even be admired. But beloved? Yet from its first appearance in 1926, Fowler's was just that. Henry Watson Fowler initially aimed his Dictionary of Modern English Usage, as he wrote to his publishers in 1911, at "the half-educated Englishman of literary proclivities who wants to know Can I say so-&-so?" He was of course obsessed with, in Swift's phrase, "proper words in their proper places." But having been a schoolmaster, Fowler knew that liberal doses of style, wit, and caprice would keep his manual off the shelf and in writers' hands. He also felt that description must accompany prescription, and that advocating pedantic "superstitions" and "fetishes" would be to no one's advantage. Adepts will have their favorite inconsequential entries--from burgle to brood, truffle to turgid. Would that we could quote them all, but we can't resist a couple. Here Fowler lays into dedicated:

He is that rara avis a dedicated boxer. The sporting correspondent who wrote this evidently does not see why the literary critics should have a monopoly of this favourite word of theirs, though he does not seem to think that it will be greatly needed in his branch of the business.

Needless to say, later on rara avis is also smacked upside the head! And practically fares no better: "It is unfortunate that practically should have escaped from its true meaning into something like its opposite," Fowler begins. But our linguistic hero also knew full well when to put a crimp on comedy. Some phrases and proper uses, it's clear, would always be worth fighting for, and the guide thus ranges from brief definitions to involved articles. Archaisms, for instance, he considered safe only in the hands of the experienced, and meaningless words, especially those used by the young, "are perhaps more suitable for the psychologist than for the philologist." Well, youth might respond, "Whatever!"--though only after examining the keen differences between that phrase and what ever. (One can only imagine what Fowler would have made of our late-20th-century abuses of like.) This is where Robert Burchfield's 1996 third edition comes in. Yes, Fowler lost the fight for one r in guerrilla and didn't fare too well when it came to quashing such vogue words as smear and seminal. But he knew--and makes us ever aware--that language is a living, breathing (and occasionally suffocating) thing, and we hope that he would have welcomed any and all revisions. Fowlerphiles will want to keep their first (if they're very lucky) or second editions at hand, but should look to Burchfield for new entries on such phrases as gay, iron curtain, and inchoate--not to mention girl. --Kerry Fried

Book Description

A standard reference work throughout the English-speaking world, this work is remarkable not only for the completeness of its information but for the wit and common sense with which it has been compiled.

Customer Reviews:

The standard to which all the others are compared.......2004-04-29

It is somewhat amazing that this book, first published in 1926, is still in print. The language has changed quite a bit since then; thousands of words have been added, hundreds have gone obsolete, and hundreds more have had their meanings shaded; and of course many of Fowler's pronouncements are now merely echoes of battles long lost or won. Not only that, but two newer editions of A Dictionary of Modern English Usage have been published, the excellent second edition edited by Sir Ernest Gowers in 1965 (now ironically out of print while the original finds yet another printing), and the not so entirely well-received (but underrated in my opinion) third edition, edited and revised by R.W. Burchfield in 1996.

How to account for this phenomenon? Part of it is because Fowler's reputation only grew after his death as several generations of writers sang his praises and adhered to, or sometimes fussed about, his many dicta on usage questions both great and small. And as the years went by, and as the pages of his masterpiece gave way to wine stains and silverfish or the few remaining copies disappeared from libraries, he himself became a legend. Not everything he wrote is considered correct today, nor was it then. And sometimes the succinct yet magisterial little essays he wrote were followed by other little essays that were all but impenetrable, obtuse and somewhat overbearing. No matter. The good greatly outweighed the occasional misjudgment, and the education he afforded us remains.

Another part of the story is that there is something very properly English and wonderfully nostalgic about the man himself. He was a bit of a character who lied about his age and joined the army when he was 56-years-old to fight the Germans in the Great War (only to faint on the parade grounds), a man who earlier gave up a teaching career because he did not feel it was his responsibility to prepare a student for the seminary. More than anything, though, the fact that this book is still in demand is a testament to the high regard and affection felt by the literate public toward Fowler himself.

What Fowler knew and preached was that before we could presume to be literary artists or journalists or even authors of readable letters we must of necessity, if we are to be effective, be craftsmen. Central to his purpose was the belief that the right word in its proper place and context constituted the backbone and much of the muscle and sinew of forthright and effective writing. That belief along with Fowler's celebrated passion for the concise and the correct, and his intolerance of ignorance and humbug, coupled with his sometimes incomparable expression, long ago won him the undying respect and admiration of careful writers of the English language the world over.

But this is something of a problem. Since Fowler last set pen to page some seventy-one years ago (he died in 1933), the English language has changed and grown enormously. What was correct and effective then, as well as what was ineffective, offensively brash or downright ugly has in some cases become acceptable and even felicitous. So, like it or not, Fowler had to be updated, and of course there was no shortage of lexicographers, linguists, grammarians, journalists and others looking to do the job. Furthermore, the "Great Divide" between American English and British English needed to be explained, recorded, and codified. Some of the people who have joined in this enterprise over the years have been H. L. Mencken, Jens Jespersen, Margaret Nicholson, Dwight MacDonald, Bergen and Cornelia Evans, and more recently, Bryan A. Garner and R.W. Burchfield, and many others. I think all of them, if they looked over their shoulder would see upon the wall an especially sober portrait of Fowler passing silent judgment upon their protracted labors. Certainly on their desks would be this book.

So I recommend that you buy that very impressive book by Garner (Garner's Modern American Usage), especially if you are an American, or splurge for a copy of that underrated third edition edited by Burchfield, and that you consult them as well as this venerable authority. As you use the books you may compare and contrast and get a nice feel for where the language has been and where it is headed.

The standard upon which the others are built.......2004-04-29

Before we presume to be artists or journalists or even readable purveyors of newsletters (or Internet blogs, for that matter) we must of necessity, if we are to be effective, be craftsmen.

Such a sentiment would, I imagine, sit well with Henry Watson Fowler who, some eighty years ago in collaboration with his younger brother Frank, wrote this famous book of English language guidance and prescription (and proscription!). Central to his purpose was the belief that the right word at the right time in its proper place and context constituted the backbone and much of the muscle and sinew of forthright and effective writing. That belief along with Fowler's celebrated passion for good writing and his intolerance of ignorance and humbug, coupled with his sometimes incomparable expression, long ago won him the undying respect and admiration of careful writers of the English language the world over.

And this has been something of a problem. Since Fowler last set pen to page some seventy-one years ago (he died in 1933), the English language has changed and grown enormously. What was correct and effective in 1926 (the year the 1st Ed. of A Dictionary of Modern English Usage was published), as well as what was ineffective, offensively brash or downright ugly has in some cases become acceptable and even felicitous. So, like it or not, Fowler had to be updated, and of course there was no shortage of lexicographers, linguists, grammarians, journalists and others looking to do the job. Furthermore, the "Great Divide" between American English and British English needed to be explained, recorded, and codified. Some of the people who have joined in this enterprise over the years have been H. L. Mencken, Jens Jespersen, Margaret Nicholson, Dwight MacDonald, Bergen and Cornelia Evans, and more recently, Bryan A. Garner and R.W. Burchfield (who edits the Third Edition of this book), and many others. I think all of them, if they looked over their shoulder would see upon the wall an especially sober portrait of Fowler passing silent judgment upon their protracted labors. Certainly on their desks would be this book.

And of course there is Sir Ernest Gowers who revised and edited this celebrated Second Edition. He writes in the Preface that the most important changes he had to make were those of vocabulary itself. "Words unknown in Fowler's day--teenager for instance--are now among our hardest worked." He adds that "Vogue words get worn out and others take their place." He admits to having omitted "one or two" of Fowler's famous little essays as being "no longer relevant to our literary fashions." (Would that he had preserved such specimens in an appendix.) He also allows that "many" of Fowler's "articles" called "for some modernization," and therefore, "a few have been rewritten in whole or part, and several new ones added."

So this is not your pristine Fowler's, yet so carefully did Gowers preserve and build upon that earlier edifice that most people have been quite pleased. In fact so nearly universal has been the admiration for this particular book that the so-called Third Edition of 1996, edited by the aforementioned Burchfield, has yet to receive universal acceptance and is indeed disparaged in some circles as not being true to the letter and spirit of Fowler.

For me two things stand out in this much admired Second Edition: (1) the absolute delight one finds in the many pronouncements on language; and (2) the odd but satisfying mix of the old-fashioned prescriptive grammarian commingled with someone who disdains pedantry for its own sake, and condemns what is seen as unnecessarily purist. Perhaps more than anything what one loves about this book is Fowler's incisive dry wit. Here is Fowler/Gowers on two words easily confused (those are my quotation marks since Amazon does not support the italics used in the original):

prescribe, proscribe. These words are often confused, especially by the use of "pro-" for "pre-." "Pro-" means to put outside the protection of the law, to denounce as dangerous; "pre-" means to lay down as a rule or direction to be followed. "If I look at the list of proscribed authors in our various universities, I notice with pleasure that since 1940 no year has passed without Jane Austen appearing in the syllabus of at least one." The speaker clearly did not mean, as one might infer from the word he used (or perhaps the printer substituted), that Jane Austen's works were on the Index.

Also of interest here is Gowers' Preface which amounts to an understanding and appreciation of Fowler and his work.

A great reference but not for the faint of heart.......2003-07-29

This work is witty and nearly unassailable, but I can't say that the uninitiated will find it accessible or as wine drinkers may say approachable. If you take pride in careful usage and want to make your writing precise, you can't go wrong here. If you've ever wondered how the words residence and residency both made their way into the language, the answer awaits you within these pages.

This isn't the place to get started with learning to write though. For those whose primary endeavor is not writing Strunk and White's Elements of Style or The Practical Stylist by Sheridan Baker will offer much to you on the practice of writing. These titles will also offer you many tips on constructing a piece of writing that you won't find in Fowler.

For those interested in a thorough treatment of usage and language you can't go wrong with Fowler though.

The classic usage guide; everyone should have one.......2002-09-10

Together with his and his brother's "The King's English," Fowler's "Modern English Usage" is the classic guide to writing good English. Those that say that Fowler is overly prescriptive are wrong; on the contrary, Fowler thinks less ill of split infinitives and prepositions-at-end than many more "modern" usage know-it-alls. I think that Fowler approaches writing in the English language as an engineer approaches designing a machine. The idea is "get the job done"---"how can I say this in the fewest words with the least ambiguity?" And that is what he teaches. Split infinitives aren't bad because they don't introduce ambiguity. The fused participle, on the other hand, introduces ambiguity, and should be avoided. "Good" Fowler English isn't just "proper" English, but English that is unambiguous and to the point.

Everyone that writes should have a copy of Fowler. But please, don't buy the "Third Edition," which isn't really Fowler. The second edition (edited by Gowers) is OK, but the first is really the nonpareil. The first edition is still in print (Wordsworth or a special Oxford reprint?) or you can buy it used---there are
lots of original Oxford University Press hardbacks floating around used here on Amazon[.com] that were pulled off high school shelves years ago.

A unique reference book.......2002-08-20

The historic quaintness of its grammar informs me and often makes me titter while reminding me of my birthright. No home should be without a copy no matter who the reader or their diction.

Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage (Oxford Paperback Reference)

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Pocket Fowler's Modern English Usage (Oxford Paperback Reference)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0198609477

Book Description

This invaluable reference work offers the best and most sought-after advice on English grammar based on Henry Fowler's original, which is still a classic text after nearly 80 years. Updated with the use of Oxford's unique language databases, it comprises over 4,200 entries giving clear recommendations on grammar, pronunciation, spelling, confusable words, and writing style. DT Advice on how to avoid common pitfalls in English usage, such as the split infinitive, infer or imply, who or whom DT Broad coverage of British and American English, including examples from all over the English-speaking world DT Wide-ranging illustrative quotations from well-known authors, such as Julian Barnes and A. S. Byatt, and international newspapers and journals

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A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
H. W. Fowler
Manufacturer: Oxford Clarendon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I5JVZC

A Dictionary of American-English Usage Based on Fowler's Modern English Usage

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A Dictionary of American-English Usage Based on Fowler's Modern English Usage
Margaret Nicholson
Manufacturer: Signet T1547
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: B000KP1U0E

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A DICTIONARY OF MODERN ENGLISH USAGE
H W FOWLER
Manufacturer: OXFORD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SAIP90

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A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
H. W. Fowler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000NP3I7O

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A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
H W Fowler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NPYMPQ

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Dictionary of Modern English Usage
H W Fowler
Manufacturer: OXFORD UNIV PRESS (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VWHK9G

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A Dictionary of Modern English Usage
H.W. edited by Sir Ernest Gowers Fowler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V8WBB2

Book Description

The biggest names in comics scriptwriting talk candidly and frankly about their profession, their approach to writing and the comics industry as a whole.

Through a series of interviews, these luminaries in the comics field reveal the mechanics of writing for comics and, in the process, a great deal about themselves. Packed with personal information, contentious views and humorous anecdotes, this is both an exploration of the writer's craft and a who's who of the hottest comics' talent around today, for fans, professionals, would-be writers and for anyone who's ever wondered exactly how the writer's mind works.

Gathers together a supergroup of the best comics writers, including Todd McFarlane (Spawn), Garth Ennis (Preacher), Frank Miller (Dark Knight Returns, Sin City), Grant Morrison (Invisibles, JLA) and Neil Gaiman (Sandman), plus Kurt Busiek, Peter David, Chuck Dixon, Warren Ellis, Devin Grayson, Dan Jurgens, Joe Kelly, Jeph Loeb and Mark Waid, with extracts from the writers' original scripts.

Customer Reviews:

There Are No Secrets.......2007-07-22

Almost every writer here has a different way that they approach comics writing, and no two writers "broke in" to the business the same way--once someone breaks in, they putty that hole shut (or so it's rumored in the industry...). Recommended for comics fans and aspiring writers, but be forewarned--this isn't a "how to" manual. I would also recommend the second volume (Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, Vol. 2), as it has in-depth interviews with the "next generation" of comic book writers so is a little more relevant than the first volume for writers looking to break into comic books today.

Excellent example.......2007-05-20

Lots of filler in this book, but, sprinkled through it are some nice tips. Also, the book is filled with excellent example pages of comic scripts. All in all a helpful book.

Very good read.......2007-03-19

I really enjoyed this book. Full of information. Well worth the purchase.

Amazon will never get it to you........2005-07-05

While I would love to read and then recommend this book, Amazon will never get it to me to read. I ordered this in March when it said "8-10 days" and was told, far beyond the estimated ship date, that the book was "delayed". I approved this delay for the updated shipping estimate not once nor twice nor thrice but FOUR times such that the new estimate was sometime in August. Maybe they meant 8-10 months but if they're just not planning on shipping this book, they really should not put 8-10 days on here and take people's money. Good luck getting your copy.

Very good for the starting comic book writer.......2004-09-29

I was hesitant about buying this book because normally books about comic writing just feature the script and no commentary from the author themselves. This has both. I wish the interview section was a little more in depth but it gives enough to show how it's done by some of the best in the business (I learned there is no proper way) and even hear about what inspires them when they write a story. Also contrary to another reviewers commentary there is a female writer featured, Devin Grayson (I suspect he never read the book because it also features pictures).All in all it's a great buy for 12 bucks.

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Fascinating Look Inside the Heads of Comics' "Next Generation"
Insightful interviews with top creators.

Writers on Comics Scriptwriting, Vol. 2
Andrew Kardon , and Tom Root
Manufacturer: Titan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1840238089
Release Date: 2004-08-01

Book Description

The next generation of blazing hot comic book writing talent get their turn in the spotlight in Writers on Comics Scriptwriting Volume 2!

Featuring exclusive interviews with the most scorching new writers in the comic book business, this second book offers insider insight into every aspect of the creative process behind comics writing. With contributions from those responsible for some of the biggest-selling comics titles on shelves, Writers on Comics Scriptwriting Volume 2 is packed to the rafters with fascinating behind-the-scenes info and never-before-revealed anecdotes and stories.

Features interviews with: Brian Azarello (100 Bullets), Brian Michael Bendis (Ultimate Spider-Man), Ed Brubaker (Batman, Catwoman, Gotham Central), Mike Carey (Lucifer, Hellblazer), Andy Diggle (Losers, Swamp Thing), Geoff Johns (Flash, JSA), Bruce Jones (Hulk), Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Mark Millar (Ultimate X-Men, Superman: Red Son), Greg Rucka (Gotham Central), Kevin Smith (Green Arrow and the director of Clerks and Jersey Girl), Craig Thompson (Blankets), Jill Thompson (Death: At Death’s Door), Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man, Pride of Baghdad), Bill Willingham (Fables).

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Look Inside the Heads of Comics' "Next Generation".......2007-07-21

Unlike the first book in this series that featured interviews with Peter David, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller, and other established comic book writers, Volume 2 features newer stars from the late 90s and present who are redefining comics for a new generation of readers.

What's surprising is how many of the newer creators started out in other mediums--Paul Dini worked in television; Geoff Johns worked in film; Greg Rucka was (and still is) a novelist. Also, many of these writers started out illustrating their own work or trying to break into the industry as artists. And most of the writers here--except Brian Vaughan--write during regular daytime hours instead of burning the midnight oil. What does it all mean? If I could figure it out, well, I'd be writing comics right now. Highly recommended for comic book fans and aspiring writers.

Insightful interviews with top creators........2005-01-19

Comic book writers are a special lot, even among creative types, fitting somewhere between performance artists and mimes in mainstream perception. Whereas Mark Salisbury's excellent first edition, published in 1999, featured many of the Modern Age's future Hall of Famers - including Warren Ellis, Neil Gaiman, Frank Miller and Grant Morrison - Tom Root and Andrew Kardon tap the current crop of writers dominating the industry, including Brian Michael Bendis, Andy Diggle, Mark Millar and Brian K. Vaughan. Unfortunately, like its predecessor, it sees fit to only include one female and not a single writer of color in the bunch.

Interspersed with script samples and highlights of specific titles they're best known for, the real meat of the book is the interviews themselves where the writers discuss craft, inspiration and the business of comics, while offering - not always purposefully, I think - glimpses into their personalities and motivations. At times these glimpses can be turnoffs, and other times they can uncover a previously unknown and interesting layer.

While many of the writers have achieved mainstream success at various levels, there's a few purely independent creators like Dave Sim and Jill Thompson represented, too. Several of them are also successful beyond the world of comic books, having written novels and screenplays - and, in Kevin Smith's case, directing well-known movies - making this a great resource for aspiring writers of all types.

The honesty of the writers is often refreshing, like Ed Brubaker admitting that "sometimes it gets tiring writing a company-owned character when you have ideas for them and the company tells you no." Or Greg Rucka admitting his Elektra series "feels like a failed experiment."

Overall, its continued lack of diversity aside, Writers on Comics Scriptwriting 2 is another strong volume from Titan Books and I only hope there's not another five year wait for the next edition. Surely there's more women and at least a few people of color on the writing side of the business, though. Right? Right? Bueller?

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WRITERS ON COMICS SCRIPTWRITING
MARK SALISBURY
Manufacturer: Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S56B1E

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