Why Does Uranus Sound Like Your Anus

7 Things Aloom

The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations

The definitive pronouncement on more than 1,500 of our most commonly mispronounced words. From the language maven Charles Harrington Elster comes an authoritative and unapologetically opinionated look at American speech. As Elster points out, there is no sewer in connoisseur, no dip in diphthong, and no pronoun in pronunciation. The culmination of twenty years of observation and study, The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations is more than just a pronunciation guide. Elster discusses past and present usage, alternatives, analogies, and tendencies and offers plenty of advice, none of it objective. Whether you are adamant or ambivalent about the spoken word, Elster arms you with the information you need to decide what is acceptable for you. The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations has now been expanded and revised and features nearly 200 new words, including: al-Qaeda bruschetta commensurate coup de grace curriculum vita exacerbate gigabyte hara-kiri machismo Muslim Niger Pinochet Pulitzer sorbet tinnitus w (as in www-dot) and many, many more. Charles Harrington Elster is the pronunciation editor of Black's Law Dictionary and the author of various books about language, including Verbal Advantage, There's a Word for It, and What in the Word? He has been a guest columnist on language for the Boston Globe and the New York Times Magazine and a commentator on NPR and hundreds of radio shows around the country.

Time Is Irreverent

◆ An Irreverent, Liberal, Twisty, Time Travel Comedy! What if you could make a change to history that would eliminate the Spanish Inquisition, American slavery, World War II, global warming, and an egomaniacal US president who thought he was smart enough to drop nuclear bombs here and there without negative consequences? What if that change also made the United States and 5 billion people poof from existence? Would you do it? When alien time travel specialists, the Krichards, learn of President Handley's game of dodge the mushroom cloud, they race to Earth to investigate. For them, the question of whether it's worth it to change history is easy to answer, but they will only proceed if the human they deem best qualified to represent Earth agrees to make the change. Erasing Handley's nuclear annihilation will require a quick jump to AD 31 to correct an error in history. If the Krichards select a brilliant scientist or an elite athlete for the task, Earth may be in good hands. Instead they select Marty Mann, a mildly successful travel writer whose only superpower is not taking life too seriously. What could possibly go wrong? Spanning from the Cretaceous period to 2056, Time Is Irreverent is a hilarious, thought-provoking satire, with unpredictable twists, colorful aliens, huge dinosaurs, a smokin' hot lesbian from the future, and a cameo from Jesus Christ himself! Reviews: “Highly recommend. It’s fun, clever, cool, witty, surprising, political, sexy, everything a sci-fi book should be. And as someone who’s also written a sci-fi-time-travel-humor novel, I love that Marty Essen doesn’t break the time rules he sets up from the start—so many sci-fi authors do, and as far as I’m concerned, that’s just lazy writing. Not the case here! Yes, his characters learn and adapt and grow, but the foundation of his rules remain intact always. To repeat: fun, witty, surprising, sexy. Highly recommend.” —Jeff Abugov, writer, producer, director “Time Is Irreverent is a delightful romp that scores solid satirical points about religion, human nature, sex, the Trump administration, and a great deal more.”—Tom Flynn, editor, Free Inquiry magazine “Ironic, original, hysterically funny, deftly crafted, and an impressively entertaining read from first page to last, Time Is Irreverent by Marty Essen is an especially and unreserved recommended for community library Science Fiction & Fantasy collections. It should be noted for the personal reading lists of dedicated science fiction fans that Time Is Irreverent is also available in a digital book format.”—Midwest Book Review “Time Is Irreverent is a well-written, well-paced novel peopled with solid, likeable characters. Marty Essen is a talented author who has managed to wrap several complex threads into a light, enjoyable narrative. I hope he will continue writing in the sci-fi genre and I look forward eagerly to his future works.”—Charles Remington, Readers’ Favorite Book Reviews Publisher's Warning: This book is intended for a liberal audience and features satirical content that may not be appropriate for Donald Trump supporters or those who are offended by views that challenge traditional religious beliefs. Common side effects include wide smiles, sudden laughter, and occasional snorts. Reader discretion is advised.