Says Who?

“Anne Curzan’s Says Who? is a thoughtful, charming tour of English as it is spoken, English as it is written, and English as it is fussed over and fought about. I was bowled over, page after page, by the author’s fine ear for our language and her openhearted erudition. I learned a lot, and I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more.”—Benjamin Dreyer, New York Times bestselling author of Dreyer’s English“Says Who? is truly a ‘kinder, funner’ grammar book, a refreshing and forgiving take on rules and convention, while also being an entertaining read.”—Abraham Verghese, author of The Covenant of Water“Readers will be sighing in relief, because this kind, informative book quashes the grammar rumors that block the way to communication and art.”—Ellen Jovin, author of the national bestseller Rebel with a Clause“Anne Curzan has accomplished the feat of addressing every possible language peeve anyone ever has, each one in tasty chapters not too short and not too long. No one could follow it: it’s a mic-drop.”—John McWhorter, New York Times bestselling author of Nine Nasty Words“Logophiles and the linguistically trepidatious alike will appreciate Curzan’s deep dives into the history of knotty constructions, as well as the commonsense and compassionate advice about navigating it all without shame—or without shaming others. Would that we all had a grammar teacher as approachable, knowledgeable, and excited by English as Anne Curzan.”—Kory Stamper, author of Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries“A delightful exploration of the quirks and controversies in the English language … Whether you embrace your inner ‘grammando’ or inner ‘wordie,’ Says Who? is sure to satisfy anyone curious about language’s ever-shifting landscape.”—Ben Zimmer, language columnist for The Wall Street Journal “As a guide through the labyrinth of language, Curzan provides a road map that makes for an enjoyable, informative journey.”—Kirkus Review (starred review)“Spirited … Chock-full of fascinating trivia and persuasively argued, this will give grammar sticklers pause.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“Curzan lays forth her incomparable erudition with deft lightheartedness that will appeal to wordies at all levels.”—Booklist (starred review)

Anne Curzan is the Geneva Smitherman Collegiate Professor of English Language and Literature, Linguistics, and Education and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor at the University of Michigan, where she also currently serves as the dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.