Jean Harkin's Blog - Posts Tagged "gone-with-the-wind"
Frankly, My Dears
I’ve been re-reading “Common Errors in English Usage” by Paul Brians, and frankly my dears, it’s downright entertaining! I’m not perfectly sure I’ve used “frankly” in the proper context. Brians says that sentences or phrases should only begin with this word to express a shocking or unflattering statement, as in “Gone With the Wind” when Rhett Butler tells Scarlett that he “frankly” doesn’t give a damn.
Says Professor (of English) Brians, “frankly” should not be used in a self-serving way, such as “frankly, I think such and such is. . .”
A few other cautions from the author, in his inimitable style, are as follows:
1) “When you hear a public figure say ‘to be completely honest with you,’ expect a lie.”
2) There is a difference between “envious” and “jealous.” You are envious of what others possess but jealous of what you have and want to keep, such as “your boyfriend’s attraction to other women.”
3) Don’t describe anything physical as “one-dimensional.” This is an impossibility. Says Brians, “If you are bothered that two-dimensions are too many, just use ‘flat.’”
4) The word “till” has been spelled this way for over 800 years and is older than “until.” Both are better English than “til” with or without an apostrophe.
Brians has me chuckling often with his examples of improper language use. Cleverly-captioned illustrations scattered throughout the book add to the professor’s gently humorous correctness. I recommend his book, along with three others of my 5-star September books I reviewed on Goodreads:
“A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles; “State of Wonder” by Ann Patchett, and “Walk the Blue Fields,” a collection of Irish stories by Claire Keegan.
Happy Fall, my dears, and happy falling into good books!
Says Professor (of English) Brians, “frankly” should not be used in a self-serving way, such as “frankly, I think such and such is. . .”
A few other cautions from the author, in his inimitable style, are as follows:
1) “When you hear a public figure say ‘to be completely honest with you,’ expect a lie.”
2) There is a difference between “envious” and “jealous.” You are envious of what others possess but jealous of what you have and want to keep, such as “your boyfriend’s attraction to other women.”
3) Don’t describe anything physical as “one-dimensional.” This is an impossibility. Says Brians, “If you are bothered that two-dimensions are too many, just use ‘flat.’”
4) The word “till” has been spelled this way for over 800 years and is older than “until.” Both are better English than “til” with or without an apostrophe.
Brians has me chuckling often with his examples of improper language use. Cleverly-captioned illustrations scattered throughout the book add to the professor’s gently humorous correctness. I recommend his book, along with three others of my 5-star September books I reviewed on Goodreads:
“A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles; “State of Wonder” by Ann Patchett, and “Walk the Blue Fields,” a collection of Irish stories by Claire Keegan.
Happy Fall, my dears, and happy falling into good books!
