Yes, you read that correctly: the title really is Friends with Words, not the more familiar phrase Words with Friends. And even the correct phrase, Friends with Words, has at least two meanings (think about it). If you yourself are indeed friends with words — ah, there’s one of the meanings! — you will enjoy this book by Martha Barnette. And if your friends are word people, then you can safely say that you and they together are friends with words.

Anyway, Martha Barnette’s book — Friends with Words, remember — is a delightful exploration of quite a wide variety of bits and bobs about language, informed by linguistics but not requiring any specialized knowledge of that field. All it requires is an enthusiastic appreciation of language and the knowledge of at least one language, presumably English.

In 22 chapters, Barnette combines the aforementioned bits and bobs with autobiographical info and all sorts of stories. In her wonderful radio show and podcast, A Way with Words, she does the same, along with cohost Grant Barrett, but in audience-participation format. More on that in another post. Just know that if you like stories — and who doesn’t? —you will find plenty of entertaining and informative fodder in this book, including stories about both Martha and Grant, and about her dad, a progressive southern Baptist (!) minister. You will learn how Martha stopped being a prescriptivist and how she and Grant survived when their show was canceled. And you will learn the answer to that burning question, “OK, I know you work one hour a week. What do you do with all the rest of your time?” As a teacher, I truly empathize.

Categories: Books, Linguistics