Urbane way with words

Press, 9 August 1980, Page 17

Urbane way with words

A Word In Your Ear. By lan Gordon. Heinemann, 1980. 126 pp.' $5.95. (Reviewed by Stuart Perry) i Although his speech reveals him- as a Scot among Kiwis and a * Kiwi among Scots, Professor Gordon, is a formidable authority on English /.words and their use. His statute may be assessed from his long entry in “Who’s Who in New Zealand,” and his much longer entry in “Who’s Who," in which certain of the more distinguished expatriates from the British-Isles find a place. His newest book, a well-produced paperback, should be as popular as the “N.Z. Listener” series on which it is based—a feature which attracts little adverse criticism, but is used by many readers as a hone for their own practice in the use of words. Much of the reason for this popularity is the author’s urbanity. Never excited nor even irritated by the changes in words and. the way they are used, Professor Gordon is content to record and explain. Sometimes he is amused, but always tolerant. Perhaps his harshest words are reserved for the misuse of “hopefully”, which he finds “distasteful": he is perfectly detached even in discussing the word “proven,” stolen from Scots and misappropriated. Alterations now becoming prevalent in vowel sounds in New Zealand are noted, but without regret. The modern use “that weak,” “that tired,” “that annoyed” is deprecated, but with the concession that “that far,” “that long,” “that much” — use of “that” with an adverb denoting, quantity or extent — has been accepted for centuries. There is learning here, though one does not see it readily. Feelers go out to several. languages. There are many citations, every one of them apt. There is nostalgia for Anglo-Saxon before it was bedevilled by romance language

complications. The author’s Own style has no ornament and needs none. He is whimsical, though, and every now and then cocks snooks at appropriate targets. It is a safe bet that even Christchurch readers, with their own prophets of bur hereditary tongue, will accord this modest, but memorable manual an honoured place on the shelf nearest to hand.

In fine, it provides a kaleidoscopic view of its subject, and a hundred examples could scarcely give an idea of its range: it is worth mentioning that there is expert guidance about dictionaries for those who seek it. There is also the nicest possible new chapter in . the author’s friendly disagreement with Dame Ngaio Marsh. For that you will have to consider buying the book: note .that the publishers are confident enough of sales to have set a very modest price.