Fair of Speech by D J Enright

Fair of Speech by D J Enright

Can a bomb ever be clean? Are we relieved to be warned that there will be an odor when once we were told that something would stink? Or, to put it another way, when is a euphemism a mark of good taste and when is it a sign of verbal obfuscation?
To answer such questions, D.J. Enright invited sixteen distinguished writers to ponder and explore the ubiquitous phenomenon of euphemism. The result is a delightful and provocative collection that not only includes general reflections on euphemism and its history but also treats such specific categories as sex, death, and other natural functions; politics; the language of the great Christian texts; euphamisms spoken to and by children; the law; medicine; office life; and the jargon of official spokesmen, military communiques, and tyrants. Such writers as Diane Johnson, Robert Nisbet, John Gross, Robert Burchfield, and Joseph Epstein bring a variety of perspectives and sensibilities to bear on these topics.
Because euphemisms are so intimate and integral to our thinking, any study of them is bound to throw light on the human condition, both past and present. In these essays, humor jostles horror and the homely alternates with the farfetched. Taken together they form an eloquent and often amusing testament to the richness of the subject.
About the Author:
D.J. Enright is a noted English poet and critic. He recently compiled and edited The Oxford Book of Death.

D. J. Enright (1920-2002), poet, novelist, and critic, was born in Royal Leamington Spa, the son of a postman. He was educated at Leamington College and Downing College, Cambridge. His first collection of poetry, The laughing hyena and other poems was published in 1953. This was followed by an
anthology Poets of the 1950s (1955) which gathered together the work of contemporary poets that became known as The Movement. His own poetry was straightforward, sometimes ironic and almost in the style of light verse, often dealing with themes of inequality.

In fiction, D.J. Enright recreated his own experiences of a British academic in a foreign country. His first novel, Academic Year (1955), has been compared with Kingsley Amis's Lucky Jim. Enright published several books for children, including the novels The Joke Shop (1976), Wild Ghost Chase
(1978) and Beyond Land's End (1979).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780192830609
ISBN 10	0192830600
Title	Fair of Speech
Author	D J Enright
Series	Oxford Paperbacks
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Oxford University Press
Year published	1986-11-20
Number of pages	228
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.