Have You Eaten Grandma?

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Have You Eaten Grandma? is a fun and handy book about the complexities of the English language and the power it holds (it just might save your grandma’s life). Punctuation is important, but the rules are changing. Spelling is important today in a way that it wasn’t when Shakespeare was a boy. Grammar isn’t set in stone. Once upon a time, to split an infinitive was wrong, wrong, wrong. Since the coming of Star Trek in 1966, when “to boldly go where no man has gone before” was what the now-iconic TV series promised to do, we’ve all been at it. “To actually get,”“to really want,”“to truly love,”“to just go”—you may not like them as turns of phrase, but take it from me: they are acceptable nowadays. End of. The guide does cover some ground with regard to some key areas of grammar (punctuation, commas, confused words, etc.) and even some of the linguistic differences between British and American words and expressions, but at the end of the day, I think you can find a better guide for grammar out there if that is something you are looking for to help you improve your craft. At times, this book is a little unfocused and tends to wander or drift for a while on a topic that could have been condensed a little. Language is power. Emojis, slang, the subjunctive mood . . . all colour our words with meaning. Interested? Then you’re in the right place. Welcome to the Have You Eaten Grandma? podcast.Join Gyles Brandreth, Natalie Haynes and a group of fellow word nerds as they journey through the intricacies and everyday pitfalls of the English languageDiscover more about the book behind the podcast at http://bit.ly/HYEGwts There are a few places where Brandreth manages to not completely step in it. He tells us not to be which hunters but also says who has to be used for humans (p. 194). So it’s a wash. He also has a surprisingly good explanation of plurals in English – except for the end where he says words like government need to take a singular verb (p. 125). This isn’t the case, especially when the collective noun is made of people. So, again, ups and downs.

Which new words are acceptable? Which aren’t? It’s a minefield, particularly when you add political correctness to the mix. Qantas, the Australian airline, recently advised flight attendants to avoid using the terms “husband” and “wife” and “mum” and “dad” as “they can reinforce the notion that everyone is in a heterosexual relationship and make many families feel excluded.” “Slobkabobs” is in; “mum” and “dad” are out.Join Gyles Brandreth and Natalie Haynes as they rofl over the aubergine emoji, disagree on text speak and debate the intricacies of ‘lol’. Maybe beginning with well or so is how you answer the first question in an interview on the radio? Did you ever think of that? At what point after hearing everyone do a certain thing do you stop and think, “Huh, I guess that’s how that thing is done”? Brandreth probably looks at dogs and wonders why they don’t walk around on their hind legs. Probably watched soccer and wonders why only the goalies are using their hands – which is the right way to handle a ball, duh. Another handbook for those who love precision in language and who are not going gentle into that good night. He went from presenting Puzzle Party in the 1970s, to appearing in Countdown's Dictionary Corner for over 300 episodes. His career has since encompassed becoming an MP and appearing regularly on TV and radio, but writing is his true passion. This is what we call anecdotal evidence. One schoolboy on one bus in one city on one day and in one sentence is given as evidence that like “has become the go-to linguistic filler of our times”. I know you think you’re good with language, Gyles, but that’s not how linguistics works.

And that’s acceptable, too. “End of” as a complete, two-word sentence has even appeared in Hansard, the official record of proceedings in the British Parliament. In 2018, a minister of the crown finished an official statement with a definitive sign-off. “End of,” he said, and sat down. Brilliant, clear, entertaining, very funny and often outright silly. Brandreth excels . . . in all his linguistic joie de vivre and amusing self-awareness Guardian Which new words are acceptable? Which aren’t? It’s a minefield, particularly when you add political correctness to the mix. Qantas, the Australian airline, recently advised flight attendants to avoid using the terms “husband” and “wife” and “mum” and “dad” as “they can reinforce the notion that everyone is in a heterosexual relationship and make many families feel excluded.”“Slobkabobs” is in; “mum” and “dad” are out.Photograph: John D Mchugh/AFP/Getty Images Gyles Brandreth counsels his audience to read ‘the rappers’ as well as Jane Austen. Language is also what makes us human. As the philosopher Bertrand Russell remarked, “No matter how eloquently a dog may bark, he cannot tell you that his parents were poor but honest. Only language can do that.” This episode they are joined by battle-rapper Mark Grist, Derek Owusu from the award-winning Mostly Lit podcast, and Fiona Evans, Head of School Programmes at the National Literacy Trust.

I’ll admit that I love languages and therefore find the subject interesting. Still, I wasn’t expecting the humour, and there is plenty. Gyles Brandreth not only provides a lot of information on the English language, he does so in a very accessible manner, enticing the reader with his funny, and often cheeky, voice. As he states, the way we express ourselves is a kind of power. Acquiring it doesn’t have to be a hardship. On the contrary, it can be entertaining, as seen in the following poem. Try reading it out loud :0) This is a grammar guide that only Gyles Brandreth could write! Full of humour throughout, this is his definitive guide to punctuation, spelling and good English for the twenty-first century * Stratford-Upon-Avon Herald *Join Gyles Brandreth and Natalie Haynes as they ponder apostrophes, grammar catastrophes, and how to literally eat your grandma.