{"product_id":"crystals-curiosity-cabinet-an-english-language-miscellany-9781399823890","title":"Crystal's Curiosity Cabinet: An English Language Miscellany","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhat do a comic alphabet, a glorious lipogram and a wellerism have in common?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eOr, an audit of accountants, an illusion of magicians, and an intrusion of spammers?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eAnd do you know how Shakespeare pronounced his name?\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Quirky, original, amusing and enlightening, this charming English Language Miscellany from David Crystal, one of the greatest British linguists of our time, offers fascinating observations on random, weird and witty words and expressions, collected over a number of years. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Following the tradition of the Victorian miscellany and cabinets of curiosities, the 150+ random entries reveal the global, national, contemporary and historical impact of language, and will appeal to word lovers and fun-fact-fiends alike. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Showcasing linguistic creativity in all its glory, and featuring a wide range of topics that reflect current language issues, such as accents, dialects, etymology, proverbs, place names, punctuation, everyday usage, and language change, this book provides a playful, entertaining and informative read on the bizarre nature of language. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDavid Crystal, OBE, is known throughout the world as a writer, editor, lecturer, and broadcaster on language and linguistics. He has written or edited over 100 books and published numerous articles for scholarly, professional, and general readerships on the history and development of English, including \u003ci\u003eThe Stories of English\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHow Language Works\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eEvolving English\u003c\/i\u003e. He has also published many works on Shakespeare, most recently co-authoring \u003ci\u003eEveryday Shakespeare: Lines for Life \u003c\/i\u003e(Chambers, 2023).\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003eAn honorary professor of linguistics at the University of Bangor, David works from his home in Holyhead, North Wales. His autobiographical memoir, \u003ci\u003eJust a Phrase I'm Going Through\u003c\/i\u003e, appeared in 2009, and he lives online at www.davidcrystal.com.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Chambers","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52057990201618,"sku":"9781399823890","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_9f02e4c4-3c84-4d8d-bb17-3aca186e0acc.jpg?v=1772019134","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/crystals-curiosity-cabinet-an-english-language-miscellany-9781399823890","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}