Word Up!
Rob Kyff
If you’re fascinated by words and language, you’ll revel in Word Up! A Lively Look at English by Rob Kyff a.k.a. The Word Guy. Drawn from Kyff's nationally syndicated column on language, this spirited book treats readers to a zesty verbal smorgasbord: handy tips on good writing and usage, fascinating stories behind word and phrase origins, whimsical word play and linguistic oddities. With wit and warmth, Word Up! explores everything from the split infinitive controversy to apostrophe catastrophes to the true etymology of hooker. Each chapter concludes with a quiz that gives you a chance to test your word knowledge. A blend of William Safire and Dave Barry, Word Up! combines learning and laughter in ways that will surprise and delight you.
Rob Kyff
Rob Kyff is the language columnist for the Hartford Courant, as well as a teacher, editor and writer. His column appears regularly in several newspapers across the country.
A native of Armonk, N.Y., Kyff earned a BA at Amherst College and an MA in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. In Minneapolis, he served as director of public information for a social-service agency and edited the employee magazine for a national retail chain.
He has taught English and history at Kingswood-Oxford School in West Hartford since 1977 and also served as the school's director of public affairs, editor of its alumni magazine and advisor to the student newspaper.
His essays have appeared in many newspapers, including the Washington Post,
Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe and Baltimore Sun, and his articles have appeared in Reader's Digest,American History and Northeast. He contributed to
Speaking Freely -- A guided Tour of American English from Plymouth Rock to Silicon Valley, published by Oxford University Press in 1997.
He has published two books: Word Up! - A Lively Look at English (Writers Club Press, 2000) and Once Upon a Word - True Tales of Word Origins (Tapestry Press, 2003).
He lives in West Hartford, Conn., with his family.
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