Junk English 2 by Ken Smith
Trade paperback original • 5 x 7.25″ • 176 pages
Nonfiction • $12.95
ISBN:978-0922233274

Junk English 2
Ken Smith

Junk English 2 combines basic advice—peppered with contemporary examples of alarmingly common verbal atrocities—with entertaining invective. Based on the author’s uncounted hours of exposure to infomercials, ads, and other dubious cultural forms, the book covers topics such as “parasitic intensifiers,” “-ize verbs,” and the dreaded “weasel words.” Frequently abused words such as “focus,” “factor,” and “process” are examined as are the seemingly unstoppable impulses toward vagueness and euphemisms. Written so that the ordinary writer and speaker of English can readily see the manipulations of language, especially in the post-9/11 era, Junk English 2 is useful as a quick reference, a source for further exploration, and a fun read.

Ken Smith is also author of Mental Hygiene: Classroom Films 1945-1970; Raw Deal: Horrible and Ironic Stories of Forgotten Americans; Ken’s Guide to the Bible; and co-author of The New Roadside America.