Thursday, December 03, 2009

New Fowler's, same as the old Fowler's

Apparently responding to the outcry over the descriptivizing of Fowler's Modern English Usage in the 3d edition, Oxford is reprinting the first.

I have the 2d edition by Gowers -- "remarkably successful . . . in retaining Fowler’s ipsissima verba while making the minor corrections and qualifications that time has made necessary" -- so probably will not feel the need to acquire the first. But I'm glad it's back in print. There is no shortage of books telling the reader that there is no correct way to write.

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