Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English by Eric PartridgeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is my favourite book to refer to when musing over the slow death of the English language. It references so many phrases that are confused in modern times, and even completely redundant in today's society. It's an apt title, because it makes you realise just how much language has come to be abused on a daily basis.
Obviously a lot of my vocabulary has developed and grown from my love of books, and a love of classics in particular has left me a familiarity with words and phrases that give me a red squiggly underline, should I choose to type them. For example, I've always used 'amongst', but these days it's considered a redundant synonym for 'among'. I was starting to think I'd actually invented the word in my own mind before I thought to look it up in this beauty of a reference book.
My point is, it makes me sad for the English language, but it is also a handy guide for those of us who have trouble letting go. I will cling to these words and phrases for as long as possible, so I'm grateful to have this little guide to back me up.
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