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94th out of 295 books
—
616 voters
Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States
by
Bill Bryson
In Made in America, Bryson de-mythologizes his native land, explaining how a dusty hamlet with neither woods nor holly became Hollywood, how the Wild West wasn't won, why Americans say 'lootenant' and 'Toosday', how Americans were eating junk food long before the word itself was cooked up, as well as exposing the true origins of the G-string, the original $64,000 question,...more
Paperback, 417 pages
Published
March 1st 1996
by Avon Books
(first published July 4th 1994)
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I'm up to Benjamin Franklin and frankly Ben, I've had enough of you and this book. I usually like Bryson's writing style, but the fruity self-congratulatory tone of this is irritating. Also, I think if you are an American you might be a great deal more interested in the entire of history of America as experienced by European settlers than I am. No 'might' about it, of course you are, its your country. Me, sorry, but I couldn't care less.
Does that sound almost sacrilegious to you? Ask yourself th...more
Does that sound almost sacrilegious to you? Ask yourself th...more
Bryson’s Made In America is a usually fascinating but sometimes overwhelming conversation about the manner in which language has evolved in the United States over the last couple hundred years. If you imagine a guy at the end of the bar who knows way too much about a particular subject and, while he shares quite a few compelling and memorable facts with you over the course of an evening, eventually you forget them all because there are so goddamn many that you just want the guy to be quiet for a...more
I will admit that I didn't actually finish this book, but by 3/4 of the way through, I was totally bored with it. The first few chapters of this book were actually interesting in that they discusses the way that the first settlers in American spoke, how that gradually began to differ from the way people spoke in English and how different it is from modern American speech. However, after these sections, the book simply introduced a historical period or a new technology and basically listed the wo...more
What bothered me in "The Mother Tongue" was more irritating in this companion piece: the laundry lists of words categorized in catch-all bins. Exhausting for this reader. Also, this time, Bryson's blithe and breezy commentary seemed less witty and more shallow. He appears determined to shoot down myths of American cultural history, but looking at the footnotes, the research is weak. One example: Bryson dismisses Zane Grey as "a New York dentist who knew almost nothing of the West but refused to...more
Jul 17, 2010
Michael
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to Michael by:
Kim
Shelves:
non-fiction,
1990s
Although I don’t live in America, it is obvious that they have had a big influence on the English language. Bill Bryson’s ‘Made In America’ explores the history of America and the effects it had on the language. I found the most interesting parts to do with censorship in America, from titbit becoming tidbit, cockroach becoming roach and to the extreme case of political correction which wanted to stop the use of terms like blackeye and blacksmith (but interestingly enough, not blackout). I feel I...more
I am such a nerd! Why else would I find a book about "words" more exciting than "The Bourne Identity" or "Hunt For Red October". Then again, in my defense and to give enormous credit where it is due ... 1) I am a writer and words are everything to my trade, and 2) Bill Bryson brings such a fascinating and encyclopedic knowledge not just of etymology but to the historical and cultural environment within which language develops and evolves. His anecdotes are both engaging and informative but beyon...more
It is remarkable that Bryson can make the history of the development of the English language in the US so entertaining - and at times laugh-out-loud funny. Tracing the evolution of the language seemed but an undercurrent to the real purpose of commenting on US history and many of the misconceptions we have of it. He also wound into the narrative the debunking of so many myths about individuals. Bryson loves to praise those we hold in high esteem, drawing you in with his veneration of a certain i...more
It was obvious Bill Bryson was enamored of all things English from his other book, but I would have thought he could manage a humorous book on American English without throwing in his ignorant slam on our founding fathers and how 'unjustified' it was. I have read source documents that specifically refute his claims that English taxation and mercantile arrangements weren't that onerous. I really didn't appreciate his cracks on Benjamin Franklyn. He also refuses to believe that a number of British...more
The low rating I give Made In America is predicated on two specific points, admittedly the first of them slightly unfair.
The first is that, given the book's subtitle, I was hoping for a book about the development of the English language as it is spoken in the United States. A scholarly discussion, albeit with plenty of humor added. I don't think my assumption was an unreasonable one, but this book fails to provide that.
It is instead a series of tenuously related historical anecdotes punctuated b...more
The first is that, given the book's subtitle, I was hoping for a book about the development of the English language as it is spoken in the United States. A scholarly discussion, albeit with plenty of humor added. I don't think my assumption was an unreasonable one, but this book fails to provide that.
It is instead a series of tenuously related historical anecdotes punctuated b...more
This is a hugely entertaining book, with more bits of trivia than you can shake a stick at. The subtitle is An Informal History of the English Language in the United States. While the subject of language fills up about half of the book, the other half is not really about language at all; it is a collection of anecdotes about American history. Bryson blends the subjects of language and history together rather well, but it sometimes seems like the same strategy that various TV dramas use nowadays;...more
Nov 25, 2009
David
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommended to David by:
david-giltinan@sbcglobal.net
Shelves:
read-in-2009
WARNING: THIS REVIEW STOOPS TO LOW GIMMICKRY!
Specifically, the reader is invited to imagine a conversation between two reviewers, both of whom live inside my head. As will become evident, one is infinitely more crotchety than the other, possibly to the extent of bloody-mindedness. To keep guesswork to a minimum, I will alternate between regular and italic fonts.
This exploration of American English by Bill Bryson contains a wealth of entertaining anecdotal material that is unfortunately often bu...more
Specifically, the reader is invited to imagine a conversation between two reviewers, both of whom live inside my head. As will become evident, one is infinitely more crotchety than the other, possibly to the extent of bloody-mindedness. To keep guesswork to a minimum, I will alternate between regular and italic fonts.
This exploration of American English by Bill Bryson contains a wealth of entertaining anecdotal material that is unfortunately often bu...more
A few weeks ago one of the teachers at my school mentioned a book she had read by Bill Bryson and she told me he had found a way to make history interesting and easy to read. In particular, she said it was funny how he would describe people and places and you'd think, "Hey, I know what he means." Maybe you've met somebody just like the person he describes.
The next time I was in the reading room I picked up one of his books. It was called Made in America. I was thinking that I probably wouldn't l...more
The next time I was in the reading room I picked up one of his books. It was called Made in America. I was thinking that I probably wouldn't l...more
I enjoyed the book quite a bit, although it was not exactly what the subtitle led me to believe it would be. The book has little to do with an actual examination of the the linguistic oddities of the U.S. or the development of American English as it does with the coining of words and phrases that have grown out of the American experience. This is more a cultural history than a linguistic history, but, as such, is an interesting read, sometimes dispelling cherished myths and at other times pontif...more
Like The Mother Tongue, Made in America is a book about the English language -- but while the former is about English in general, the latter is specifically about English in the US. Like The Mother Tongue, I like this book for its mix of interesting facts, historical anecdotes, and detours to comment on the improbability of the way the world is. It didn't quite tickly me as much as The Mother Tongue, but this is still a fun book.
Bryson's usual extremely funny, but very learn-ed writing!
The best way to illustrate is to list a very few of the nuggets of info that make you want to stop and underline passages for future readers
CHUCK - slang word for food, now surviving in "chuckwagon" and "up-chuck"
Our beloved "Western" words: "son-of-a-gun", "bite the dust" and "posse" all came from England, often as early as the Middle Ages.
Way before the first Thanksgiving, Turkeys appeared in England in 1540 and were thought to come fro...more
The best way to illustrate is to list a very few of the nuggets of info that make you want to stop and underline passages for future readers
CHUCK - slang word for food, now surviving in "chuckwagon" and "up-chuck"
Our beloved "Western" words: "son-of-a-gun", "bite the dust" and "posse" all came from England, often as early as the Middle Ages.
Way before the first Thanksgiving, Turkeys appeared in England in 1540 and were thought to come fro...more
Made in America is ostensibly a book about the etymology of many common English words and phrases, but it also mixes in quite a bit of history as well. As one such example Bryson tells the story of PT Barnum who toured the country with an elephant named “Jumbo” which he hyped as an animal of unusual size. The elephant's fame turned its name into a household word, meaning "very large". When Jumbo was later killed by a train, Barnum, ever the opportunist, mounted the bones and had a taxidermy repl...more
Not a quick read, relatively exhaustive in it's detail; a lot of little factoids and definitions peppered throughout each chapter, grouped by topics in each chapter. An interesting read, easy to see how some would find it boring.
HOWEVER...the zinger was the last chapter: Bryson disputes the screamers who claim "furners" ought to learn English. THAT complaint in America is as old as the hills, as old as the Dutch owners of Manhattan calling the English "John Cheese" (pronounced Yan Keese...YAN-KE...more
HOWEVER...the zinger was the last chapter: Bryson disputes the screamers who claim "furners" ought to learn English. THAT complaint in America is as old as the hills, as old as the Dutch owners of Manhattan calling the English "John Cheese" (pronounced Yan Keese...YAN-KE...more
Laughing out loud at what is essentially a non-fiction history book was not something I was expecting! But Bill Bryson has a familiar style of writing and a unique perspective on subjects which led me to read this book almost in one sitting. I studied Linguistics at university, but I learnt and engaged much more with the pages of this fascinating book. There were times when I skipped pages, as I felt Bryson occasionally got caught up in his own enthusiasm and his own research on language...but t...more
This ended up being much more of a straightforward history book than I expected. It rambled pleasantly and expansively through American history, pausing frequently to examine origins of common words and expressions.
I was surprised at how clearly Bryson's political views shone through the text, but since those views - liberal, populist - generally agreed with mine, that was a plus in my eyes. Few things are quite so gratifying as reading a book (or even a bumper sticker) that states your own opin...more
I was surprised at how clearly Bryson's political views shone through the text, but since those views - liberal, populist - generally agreed with mine, that was a plus in my eyes. Few things are quite so gratifying as reading a book (or even a bumper sticker) that states your own opin...more
It isn't that often that you can say, "I enjoy history, linguistics, and trivia," and have all your interests addressed and satisfied in the same book. Billy Bryson manages this in Made in America, which is, true to its subtitle, an informal history of the English language in the United States.
Bryson's engaging style and unfailing humour shine in this book. He breaks down his research into different categories rather than just starting at America's earliest point in history and jumping around fr...more
Bryson's engaging style and unfailing humour shine in this book. He breaks down his research into different categories rather than just starting at America's earliest point in history and jumping around fr...more
I am a Bryson fan, I have read several of his books and am always surprised with his historical references, knowledge of the topics being discussed, and his research. I really enjoyed this book. As usual BB offers you a quirky historical situation and the outcome or the falsehood that arose from the odd historical situation. This book is as the states "An Informal History" of American English and Americanisms. Its starts from the first settlers arrivals to the "New World" until our current times...more
This was my first book by Bill Bryson. I found it interesting, but at the same time, it often felt as though he were engaging in writing a revisionist history of the U.S. rather than a book on the development of American english. It wasn't till almost ten years later that I learned the reason for the difference in spellings between American English and British English. You'd think that would be something he'd want to touch on in here. One of the things that did bother me most was how he pulled t...more
I'll preface by saying that I've been a Bryson fan for quite some time now. Rarely have I come across a book of his (travelogue or otherwise) that hasn't held my interest. For those who've only read selections such as "The Lost Continent" or "A Walk in the Woods" (which features a highly entertaining encounter with a security guard at Palmerton's own Zinc Company, the central landmark of my beloved hometown), "Made in America" is a solely different journey. This is a book for anyone who's wonder...more
As I read this book, I couldn't help but thinking that I'd read it before. Then, I noticed his liberal quotations and references to "The People's History of the United States." In fact, too many references. It seemed like everything was something I'd read about before.
Which...um...is weird because this book is supposed to be about LANGUAGE. Ok, he states in the intro...he likes to digress. But all the digressions serve to be interesting tidbits as well as somehow relating back to language. But s...more
Which...um...is weird because this book is supposed to be about LANGUAGE. Ok, he states in the intro...he likes to digress. But all the digressions serve to be interesting tidbits as well as somehow relating back to language. But s...more
Finally finished this book. Took me over a week to read which is usual for me. I think becuase it's non-fiction and I always find them quiet hard to read and to many dates put me off. However when I did pick up the book it was very intresting. I learnt alot about American history. I now can name more presidents then PMs. Was somewhat shocked to find out that Fall is actually an English term and By Jove is an American term. (Me and my friend once spend a whole day trying to bring 'By Jove' back i...more
Much, MUCH,
MUCH
more than a history of the English language in America! Bryson with magical and funny writing links the evolution of language with the evolution of culture, science, recreation, food, politics. His controversial or almost heretical debunkings of accepted history are supported with an extensive bibliography of the sources.
The debunking is endless! Barely a page was turned that didn't leave me amazed at how much I don't know, and just how far away from documented history is the a...more
The debunking is endless! Barely a page was turned that didn't leave me amazed at how much I don't know, and just how far away from documented history is the a...more
This book is a wonderfully entertaining look at the development of the American version of the English language. I generally find Bryson's style enjoyable, although there have been exceptions (notably, "Lost Continent") and this one is almost as good as "A Short History of Nearly Everything". It does beg for an update, given that it was witten in 1994, and not only have there been many words added to the lexicon since then, but some of his comments on the health of the American economy might nee...more
Sep 07, 2011
Collin
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
nobody
Recommended to Collin by:
Katherine's stupid book club
The important thing to note about this book is that the subtitle--An Informal History of the English Language in the United States--is misleading. It's more an informal history of the United States, of which the English language plays a minor role. Bryson talks a lot about the history of the creation and development of the US, though not in any comprehensive fashion, and it's fascinating to read about the differences between the commonly heard details and what actually happened. And then a coupl...more
This is a book more about America's history than it's language, though the cocktail-party-value of the etomology of "up shit creek" cannot be denied. Also an interesting book to read after the People's History of the United States given the stark difference in focus. Though Bryson quotes pretty heavily from Zinn in early chapters, his attention quickly shifts away from dissent to the nifty and oddball of mid-20th century life: fast food, household appliances, etc.
I was expecting another laugh out loud Bryson book with this, and certainly didn't get it-
there are humorous parts but not the belly laughs so common in his travel books. Made in America was an interesting read though, especially if you are interested in how the American language and culture came to be. The first half I found a bit tiresome, with what I viewed as excessive examples for everything mentioned, but int the second half when Bryson organized by theme rather than chronologically I got...more
there are humorous parts but not the belly laughs so common in his travel books. Made in America was an interesting read though, especially if you are interested in how the American language and culture came to be. The first half I found a bit tiresome, with what I viewed as excessive examples for everything mentioned, but int the second half when Bryson organized by theme rather than chronologically I got...more
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Bill Bryson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1951. He settled in England in 1977, and worked in journalism until he became a full time writer. He lived for many years with his English wife and four children in North Yorkshire. He and his family then moved to New Hampshire in America for a few years, but they have now returned to live in the UK.
In The Lost Continent, Bill Bryson's hilarious first t...more
More about Bill Bryson...
In The Lost Continent, Bill Bryson's hilarious first t...more
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“By the 1920s if you wanted to work behind a lunch counter you needed to know that 'Noah's boy' was a slice of ham (since Ham was one of Noah’s sons) and that 'burn one' or 'grease spot' designated a hamburger. 'He'll take a chance' or 'clean the kitchen' meant an order of hash, 'Adam and Eve on a raft' was two poached eggs on toast, 'cats' eyes' was tapioca pudding, 'bird seed' was cereal, 'whistleberries' were baked beans, and 'dough well done with cow to cover' was the somewhat labored way of calling for an order of toast and butter. Food that had been waiting too long was said to be 'growing a beard'. Many of these shorthand terms have since entered the mainstream, notably BLT for a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, 'over easy' and 'sunny side up' in respect of eggs, and 'hold' as in 'hold the mayo'.”
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4 people liked it
“Because of social strictures against even the mildest swearing, America developed a particularly rich crop of euphemistic expletives - darn, durn, goldurn, goshdad, goshdang, goshawful, blast, consarn, confound, by Jove, by jingo, great guns, by the great horn spoon (a nonce term first cited in the Biglow Papers), jo-fired, jumping Jehoshaphat, and others almost without number - but even this cautious epithets could land people in trouble as late as the 1940s.”
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3 people liked it
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