THINGS THAT MAKE US [SIC] by Martha Brockenbrough



Choose your favorite bookstore: Amazon.com Barnes & Noble Borders Your nearest independent book store	Praise for Things That Make Us [Sic] "A smart, up-to-the-minute take on the world of words that's funny and sometimes even bawdy." —Bill Walsh, author of Lapsing Into a Comma and The Elephants of Style "From her founding of the hilariously named SPOGG (Society for the Protection of Good Grammar) to her diligently penned correction letters, Martha Brockenbrough delights grammar mavens while inducing giggles. She's a tidal wave of grammar fun." —Mignon Fogarty, author of Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing "Martha Brockenbrough is hilarious." —June Casagrande, author of Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies "Grammar mavens should rejoice at the appearance of this collection of nifty facts about language. I read it straight through in one sitting!" —Grant Barrett, co-host of KPBS Radio's "A Way With Words" and author of The Official Dictionary of Unofficial English "Do you ever feel badly or get nauseous? Things That Make Us [Sic] will cure you of those maladies and make you feel properly bad and nauseated about sloppy grammar, usage, and punctuation. It will also give you a generous dose of that best medicine: laughter. With winsome humor and humility, Martha Brockenbrough shows us how to choose language that is clear, precise, and unaffected. She also reminds us, inter alia, that 'irregardless is an irregular word, just as underwear is an irregular hat.'" —Charles Harrington Elster, author of Verbal Advantage and What in the Word? "'Grammar' and 'glamour' have the same derivation: an old Scottish word meaning 'sorcery.' So, good grammar is not merely a glamorous antidote to creeping meatballism, it has the power of the black arts behind it. Martha Brockenbrough is hip to these secrets." —Tom Robbins, author of Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, Villa Incognito, and Skinny Legs and All Martha Brockenbrough in the News Martha Brockenbrough and the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar has been mentioned in some of the world's finest publications, including The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. The Dallas Morning News Sept. 6, 2008 Grammatical errors on signs becoming a 'regulalar' occurrence A cup of regualar coffee sounds like the perfect way to start your day. Wouldn't some cheep gas be nice? But if you park your car, you've been warned: No in-and-out priviliges. Read more... The New York Times October 21, 2007 The Age of Dissonance YOUR MODIFIER IS DANGLING By Bob Morris Not long ago, an elderly friend and grammar stickler stopped me midsentence. I had just said, “They gave it to him and I,” when it should have been “him and me.” Read more... Voice of America Radio Group Led by Seattle Writer Promotes Good (Not Perfect) Grammar 13 November 2007 MP3 - Download Audio Listen to MP3 Listen in RealAudio AA: I'm Avi Arditti with Rosanne Skirble, and this week on WORDMASTER: Martha Brockenbrough, a writer in Seattle and founder of SPOGG, the Society for the Promotion of Good Grammar. Five thousand people get her free e-mails about grammar, usage and what she calls "related outrages," and she has a blog at her Web site, spogg.org. She's always watching for errors like misplaced modifiers. Read more... The Wall Street Journal Especially During the Holidays, 'Gift' Is a Verb That Just Keeps on 'Gifting By Elizabeth Holmes It's better to give than to receive, but is it even better to gift? The noun "gift" is a popular word, synonymous with "present." But this holiday season, it's cropping up increasingly as an encouraging verb -- as in, to give something to somebody. Read more... Ashland Daily Tidings By Jennifer Margulis Tidings Correspondent Mark your calendars. Not for Ground Hog Day. Not for Martin Luther King's Birthday Observed. But for National Grammar Day. It's coming (or is it its coming?). Read more...