That's the way it crumbles :: the American conquest of English /

In That's the Way It Crumbles, Matthew Engel presents a call to arms against the linguistic impoverishment that happens when one language dominates another. With dismay and wry amusement, he traces the American invasion of our language from the early days of the New World, via the influence of...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Engel, Matthew, 1951- (Author)
Format: Electronic eBook
Language:English
Published: London : Profile Books, 2017.
Subjects:
Online Access:DE-862
DE-863
Summary:In That's the Way It Crumbles, Matthew Engel presents a call to arms against the linguistic impoverishment that happens when one language dominates another. With dismay and wry amusement, he traces the American invasion of our language from the early days of the New World, via the influence of Edison, the dance hall and the talkies, right up to the Apple and Microsoft-dominated present day, and explores the fate of other languages trying to fend off linguistic takeover bids. It is not the Americans' fault, more the result of their talent for innovation and our own indifference. He explains how America's cultural supremacy affects British gestures, celebrations and way of life, and how every paragraph and conversation includes words the British no longer even think of as Americanisms. Part battle cry, part love song, part elegy, this book celebrates the strange, the banal, the precious and the endangered parts of our uncommon common language.
Physical Description:1 online resource
Bibliography:Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN:9781782832621
1782832629

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