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Word Abuse
Review by Publishers Weekly "Credit Word Abuse with a lively anecdotal approach, sharp perceptions, a sense of comedy. As she discusses jargon, the cliché', the euphemism, emotional word color, the 'new verbal morality' (dirty words) and other perils, Cross makes some telling points in her jaunty opus. "
- GenresLanguageNonfiction
232 pages, Paperback
Published May 7, 1979
51 people want to read
About the author
Donna Woolfolk Cross
8 books391 followersDonna Woolfolk Cross graduated cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Pennsylvania in 1969 with a B.A. in English. She moved to London, England, after graduation, and worked as an editorial assistant for a small publishing house on Fleet Street, W.H. Allen and Company. Upon her return to the United States, Cross worked at Young and Rubicam, a Madison Avenue advertising firm, before going on to graduate school at UCLA where she earned a master's degree in Literature and Writing in 1972.
In 1973, Cross moved with her husband to upstate New York where she began teaching writing in a college English Department. Now writing is her fulltime career.
She is the author of two books on language, Word Abuse: How the Words We Use Use Us and Mediaspeak: How Television Makes Up Your Mind. She is the coauthor of Speaking of Words and Daddy's Little Girl. The product of seven years of research and writing, Pope Joan is her first novel. She is now at work on a new novel set in 17th century France.
In 1973, Cross moved with her husband to upstate New York where she began teaching writing in a college English Department. Now writing is her fulltime career.
She is the author of two books on language, Word Abuse: How the Words We Use Use Us and Mediaspeak: How Television Makes Up Your Mind. She is the coauthor of Speaking of Words and Daddy's Little Girl. The product of seven years of research and writing, Pope Joan is her first novel. She is now at work on a new novel set in 17th century France.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
February 18, 2017
Cross was teaching at Syracuse University at the time I read this book. Wish I could have taken a class from her! She points out how words can be used, especially in advertising, to deceive and manipulate. Interesting stuff.
February 28, 2009
Unfortunately, the book has become dated with age. It was written in the 1970's and it shows. The ideas that were new at the time are now cliche.
September 22, 2014
Much of these ideas are old hat these days. For my purposes, the screed against 1960s education for ruining language is great stuff.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews