And I've just read it. It may sound as a cliche, but I think that the book has... too many words. Too many words following each other... If you know what I mean - but you probably don't.
The book is about the development of American English, from the first settlers to 1990s. It includes plenty of interesting facts - that are probably even more interesting if you know American history in detail. If you don't, you'll probably struggle through the first few chapters, but enjoy it afterwards. There are plenty of random things that I've learned reading this book. If you find them at least a bit interesting, I strongly recommend reading this book. I've learned that
Greenland's southern fringes are further south than Oslo. Which is obvious once you look at a map.
There was no standard time in the US until 1883. When it was midnight in New York, it was 11:47 in Washington, and 11:55 in Philadelphia. Oh, dear!
Revolving doors are necessary to avoid uncontrollable draughts in large buildings. Again, pretty obvious once you think about it.
Chutzpah is best defined by the old joke about the boy who kills his parents, then begs mercy form the court because he has only recently been orphaned. My favourite!
The New York Times predicted in 1939 that television would never be a serious competitor for radio because people must sit and keep their eyes glued on a screen; the average American family hasn't time for it. And then came Internet!
The word caucus dates from the early seventeenth century. As you probably guessed it, I only know the word because I'm watching Project Runway.
DOS originated as Q-DOS (a play on kudos) and stood for Quick and Dirty Operating . YAIJ (yet another inside joke).
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