R. L. Trask

A Troubleshooter's Guide to English Style and Usage

Mind the Gaffe!

Sarah Sammis

Mind the Gaffe is a humorous but useful look at common errors in English and the acceptable differences between American and British English (and sometimes other dialects too). The book is presented in alphabetical order and is very easy to use.

The best part of the book though is Trask's comments on many of the entries. If a rule strikes him as odd, he'll note his feelings. If the rule doesn't have any sensible reason, he'll write: "the word is so spelled."

As with every book I've read that compares American and British culture, I noticed a few inconsistent or incorrect (at least for California) entries but far fewer than I have in other books. I think it must be impossible to write a comprehensive comparison between the two dialects because of the numerous regional differences.

Mind the Gaffe! A Troubleshooter's Guide to English Style and Usage

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