A Way with Words

The essence of the book is based on excerpts from discussions in an online forum on words and usage in the English language. I convened this forum (then called a distribution list) early in 1995. This first volume covers the time span from February to June 1995.

Topics range from the mundane to the highly academic and have often spawned lively debates particularly around controversial usage, folk etymology, and the odd syntax that seemingly has no logical basis. The highlight of this experience was the realization of just how rich is English and how replete it is with subtle nuances and depth of meaning. The contributions came from members around the world who had given their abundant knowledge, wit, and wisdom over the seven years of the forum. The list was called Wordplay-L, and the idea of synthesizing the content into a book was there right from the start, and participants expressed desire to see their debates disseminated to the wider public.

The founding of this forum was inspired by earlier works on the English language such as those by Richard Lederer, William Safire, or Steven Pinker. The discussions quickly became lively and educational. It then became clear that a book summarizing the discussions into literary themes was warranted. The membership comprised varied backgrounds, but primarily teachers, copy editors, reviewers, columnists, programmers, and librarians. This mix made for very informative debates, laced with wit, humor, and at times down-right laughter.