ROY BLOUNT JR—Alphabet Soup (HILARIOUS Writing Guide)—1st Ed Hardcover

Description: • For Your Consideration: • A SIGNED* FIRST EDITION in HARDCOVER of: • “ALPHABET JUICE: THE ENERGIES, GISTS, AND SPIRITS OF LETTERS, WORDS, AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF: Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory” (FARRAR STRAUS, AND GIROUX, 2008) (HARDCOVER, First Edition, First Printing) • BY ROY BLOUNT JR. • “If everybody’s first English teacher were ROY BLOUNT JR., we might still be trillions in debt, but we would be so deeply in love with words and their magic…that we’d hardly notice.” ―CHRIS TUCKER, DALLAS MORNING NEWS • “BLOUNT is the best. He can be literate, uncouth, and soulful, all in one sentence.” ―GARRISON KEILLOR *SIGNING NOTE: Inscribed & signed by the author, in black ink, on the Title Page as follows: “To Jessica, It’s good to see a good Raleigh girl so far north. ROY BLOUNT.” • ABOUT THIS TITLE: • “After forty years of making a living using words in every medium except greeting cards, ROY BLOUNT JR. still can't get over his ABCs. In ALPHABET JUICE, he celebrates the juju, the crackle, the sonic and kinetic energies, of letters and their combinations. He has a strong sense of right and wrong, but he is not out to prescribe proper English. His passion is for questions such as these: Did you know that both mammal and matter derive from baby talk? Have you noticed how wince makes you wince?“Three and a half centuries ago, THOMAS BLOUNT produced his GLOSSOGRAPHIa, the first dictionary to explore derivations of English words. This BLOUNT’s GLOSSOGRAPHIA takes that pursuit to new levels. From sources as venerable as the OED and as fresh as URBANDICTIONARY [website], and especially from the author’s own wide ranging experience, ALPHABET JUICE derives an organic take on language that is unlike, and more fun than, any other.”—THE PUBLISHER • “A book that's as much fun to read backward as forward, ALPHABET JUICE is also a one-of-a-kind work of literature that will help you write better. It’s like THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE, only updated and hilarious.” ―IAN FRAZIER • “ROY BLOUNT JR. is one of the most clever [see sly, witty, cunning, nimble] wordsmiths cavorting in the English language, or what remains of it. ALPHABET JUICE proves once again that he's incapable of writing a flat or unfunny sentence.” ―CARL HIAASEN • “A few words about ALPHABET JUICE: Hilarious! Brilliant! Provocative! Okay, one more—Suaviloquent!” ―DANIEL KLEIN, “PLATO AND A PLATYPUS WALK INTO A BAR” • “Amusing, bemusing, and smart as hell.” ―DANIEL OKRENT, FORTUNE • “Grand fun…. Danced in BLOUNT’s arms, English swings smartly.” ―JACK SHAFER, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW • “Gracefully erudite and joyous.” ―KATHERINE A. POWERS, BOSTON SUNDAY GLOBE • “If your eyes have only skimmed over the long subtitle of ALPHABET JUICE and just vaguely registered that the book has something to do with words, please go back and read the entire subtitle again, slowly. This time listen to the syncopation of the clauses, as well as the alliterative music of the p’s and t’s, then note the juxtaposition of high and low style (‘combinations thereof,’ ‘innards’), the punchy yet unexpected nouns (‘gists,’ ‘pips’), that touch of genteel sexual innuendo (‘secret parts’), and the concluding flourish of the gustatory. Like ROY BLOUNT JR. himself, his new book’s subtitle neatly balances real learning with easy-loping charm.” ―MICHAEL DIRDA, WASHINGTON POST • “Throughout, the usage advice is sage and also fun, since the writer’s own wild wit, while bent and BLOUNT, is razor sharp.” ―PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW) • “A knowledgeable handbook that is also chock-full of funny, colorful opinions on marriage, movies, and MONET.” ―BOOKLIST • “ROY BLOUNT JR.’s ALPHABET JUICE—a relatively short encyclopedic compendium of English usage—pretends to be a practical guide a la STRUNK & WHITE or LYNNE TRUSS. But it has more in common with VOLTAIRE’s PHILOSOPHICAL DICTIONARY. The author might prefer a comparison to AMBROSE BIERCE’s DEVIL’S DICTIONARY. BLOUNT shares with BIERCE and TWAIN a gift for misdirection, an inclination to pull off the fanciest of tricks right in front of us, all the while decrying fanciness. ALPHABET JUICE pegs knowledgeable as ‘one ugly word.’ But BLOUNT is one of our most deeply and broadly knowledgeable writers, and his new book is a personal document, a neo-Platonic manifesto exalting the natural music of language (‘Doesn’t dog sound like what the English expect from a dog?’). BLOUNT’s bull’s-eye, which he hits unerringly, is the ecstatic center where talking, writing and singing meet…. So BLOUNT has figured out a way to have his fancy cake and eat it, too, with a plastic fork like a regular joe. And guess what? He’s sharing the cake, and it’s the best cake you ever tasted.” ―PASTE • “I love ROY BLOUNT. I think you should, too. He makes you laugh out loud—a lot (every couple of pages in this book). Human laughter comes in all sizes, colors, flavors, and states of emotional dress, from outraged (THE DAILY SHOW) to infantile (BUGS BUNNY and DAFFY DUCK) to raunchy and lowdown (CALIFORNICATION). BLOUNT elicits the laughs of generosity and enlightenment; it’s the spectacle of a fellow citizen maintaining benevolence while still remaining better and more straightforward than the rest us. (How exactly did our three candidates for TWAINHOOD—BLOUNT, VONNEGUT, and KEILLOR—get to be such decent chaps, given the darkness of their inspiration?)” —BUFFALO NEWS • ”ROY BLOUNT JR. is a famous American humorist. But that clipped description is kind of like saying that Paris is simply an inland French city: The outline is accurate as far as it goes, but it leaves out all of the captivating details.” ―BOSTON GLOBE• “ALPHABET JUICE is the book ROY BLOUNT JR. was born to write, which, considering his prodigious talent, is saying a lot. Did you know that the word laugh is linguistically related to chickens and pie? This is the book that any of us who urgently, passionately love words—love to read them, roll them over the tongue, and learn their life stories—were lucky enough to be born to read.” ―CATHLEEN SCHINE, "THE NEW YORKERS” • “Possibly his best work! This is a masterwork of analysis, and a love story to the English language. He keeps it light, informative, and gets you thinking. I REALLY recommend this book to anyone who loves English. If you already love ROY BLOUNT’s work, you’ll DEFINITELY love ALPHABET JUICE.” —NYCGAL, AMAZON REVIEW • “A FLAPPINCAT FAVE: We collect style guides. It might be an obsession. For context, our faves include F. L. LUCAS’s STYLE, THEODORE BERNSTEIN’s THE CAREFUL WRITER, STRUNK & WHITE (of course), & this one. What distinguishes BLOUNT from many writers, & guides, is his sensitivity to sound. A lot of writing that might look okay on paper can sound like pompous mush when read aloud. That is not a big deal for everyone. But for those of us who like the kind of writing that both the eye & the ear can enjoy, & want to learn more, this book should be our chaperone. It is also a hoot.” —FLAPPINCAT • “著者のBlount は作家で、AHDのUsage Panel の一員でもある。本書はアルファベット24文字にまつわる話を紹介するだけでなく、aaからZyzzyva まで様々な領域にわたる語を解説している。文法用語（adjective, adverb, subjunctive, etc.）、修辞学用語（elegant variation, metaphor, etc.）、分割語法（split-infinitive, double negation, different from/than, hopefully, etc.）, 語形成（blend, portmanteau, spoonerism, etc.）、句読法（comma, dash, etc.）、政治的妥当性（sexism and pronouns, etc.）,その他（aardvark, mnemonic, nitpicking、etc.）など多岐にわたる。ここでは最近の論争語法(disputed usage)の代表ともいえる文副詞hopefully について著者の見解を紹介しておこう。(1) Hopefully, the treaty will be ratified.(2) Mercifully, the game ended before the opponents could add another touchdown to the lopsided score.” —書斎, AMAZON REVIEW• POLONIUS: “What do you read, my lord?” HAMLET: “Words, words, words” —WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, “THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET: PRINCE OF DENMARK” • ALI G: “How many words does you know?” NOAM CHOMSKY: “Normally, humans, by maturity, have tens of thousands of them.” ALI G.: “What is some of ’em?” —DA AL G SHOW • ABOUT THE AUTHOR: • “Page for page, ROY BLOUNT is as funny as anyone I’ve read in a long time.”—NORMAN MAILER • “The RANDY NEWMAN of American letters.”—DWIGHT GARNER, NEW YORK TIMES • “In the tradition of the great curmudgeons like H.L. MENCKEN and W.C. FIELDS.”—TIME MAGAZINE • “Whatever he’s doing, he gets away with it.” —CHRISTOPHER LEHMANN-HAUPT, NEW YORK TIMES • “BLOUNT is, above all, honest. Well, above all, he’s funny, too, and funny people can get away with telling us the hard truth.” —BOSTON GLOBE • “The one writer who never fails to please.” —VILLAGE VOICE • • For other details about this book, please see below. • TITLE: “ALPHABET JUICE” SUBTITLE: “THE ENERGIES, GISTS, AND SPIRITS OF LETTERS, WORDS, AND COMBINATIONS THEREOF: Their Roots, Bones, Innards, Piths, Pips, and Secret Parts, Tinctures, Tonics, and Essences; With Examples of Their Usage Foul and Savory”AUTHOR: ROY BLOUNT JR. TYPE: HARDCOVER PUBLISHER, LOCALE, & YEAR: SARAH CRICHTON BOOKS / FARRAR STRAUS, AND GIROUX (New York), 2008EDITION: First Edition, First Printing* *RE: On the Copyright Page, the statement “First edition, 2008” & this Number Row: “10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1.” PAGES: 364+ISBN: 978-0-374-10369-9 NOTE: THIS BOOK is not an ex-library copy nor a Book-of-the-Month-Club edition. CONDITION OF DUST JACKET: VERY GOOD PLUS. Price ($25.00) is unclipped. Corners are fine. Top spine tip is fine; bottom is bumped. Edges are fine. Despite light smudging & scratching (from normal handling), DJ is pointedly clean & bright. CONDITION OF BOOK: VERY GOOD PLUS. Book is square & firm. Coverboards are bright & clean. Corners are fine. Edges are fine. Spine is tight & uncreased with bumped tips. Text-block edges are fine though the fore edge has a few faint scuffs. The pages are pointedly clean & bright—with no writing (other than the writer’s), no underlining, no highlighting, no tears, no stains, no foxing, no foul odor, etc. LOOKS UNREAD. • SHIPPING NEWS: This book will be wrapped with care before being shipped in a cushioned & sturdy box. THANK YOU! ********************** /\___/\=•ᆺ•= “We believe it’s good business to be good to our customers.” *********** FLAPPINCAT’s HOUSE RULES ***********1. GENERAL TREATMENT. We enjoy treating FLAPPINCAT customers with honesty & respect & warmth because that’s how we like to be treated when we buy things on eBay.2. GENERAL ATTITUDE. We are grateful you choose to trust us with your business. We aim for that gratitude to permeate every part of how we engage with you.3. OUR DESCRIPTIONS. We describe every item we sell as clearly and accurately as we can. When it comes to describing condition, we tend toward being conservative. 4. PACKING & SHIPPING. We know from experience that items, when not thoughtfully packed, can be damaged during shipment. To avoid that real danger, FLAPPINCAT wraps & cushions your purchase(s) mindfully—and sometimes zealously—in a sturdy package. WARNING: In our zeal, we sometimes over-tape containers and you may need a penknife to unseal our shipments. NOTE: Though we often recycle shipping materials, we do NOT stint on protection. 5. OUR PRICES. We try to offer the lowest prices on eBay for items we sell. Even our most expensive offerings tend to be lower than what others are asking. “You could look it up!” —to quote baseball immortal JACK KEEFE. SUMMARY: We know you have many buying options on eBay. FLAPPINCAT tries to be distinctive by being accurate, mindful, and friendly. *********** How We GRADECONDITION ***********DETAILS. The condition of every item we sell will be described in detail.FLAWS. All discernible flaws will be noted, if not emphasized. Of course, the grading of condition can be subjective. And since no grader is perfect, it is possible that we may at times miss a flaw. It is also possible that we may miss some perfections! Should we make a mistake, you will find FLAPPINCAT eager to fix things with you. Just send us a note and we’ll get on it.GRADING SYSTEM. For books and magazines (and even other items), we use these terms (in order of desirability): VERY FINE or LIKE NEW FINE (or EXCELLENT) NEAR FINE (or NF) VERY GOOD PLUS (or VG+) VERY GOOD (or VG) GOOD FAIR ACCEPTABLE POOR “POOR.” Except in rare cases, for rare items, we tend to avoid selling items that are in utterly “POOR” condition. It is more likely that on a rare item, only one part of an item (out of numerous parts) will be described as “POOR.”RETURNS. We accept that you may wish to return a purchase because you genuinely think we haven't described and graded its condition properly. We accept that we our* imperfect. 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Price: 24.5 USD

Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina

End Time: 2025-01-24T11:49:41.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.25 USD