The Cranky Language Lady: Wednesday Grammar Quiz for Grownups

The Cranky Language Lady: Wednesday Grammar Quiz for Grownups comes from CrankyLanguageLady.com. To find out more about the Cranky Language Lady, view sample pages from her new book, peruse her blog, or visit the website.

Grammar Quiz #9—Bridezilla Challenge

There are ten errors in the conversation below. Can you find them all? Give yourself 10 points of each correct answer.

“It’s my day,” Brianna said. “I want the best man too shave his mustache. I want the made of honor to loose 15 pounds. I want lobster served at the reception. I want daddy to pay for me and my attendants to arrive by helicopter.”

“Your being unreasonable,” said her mother.

“But it’s my day!” Brianna cried.

“Perhaps you’re confusing “bride” with “princess,” commented her father. “And perhaps you're confusing my bank account with Brad Pitts or George Clooneys.”

View corrections here.

Tuesday Trivia

1. Which British playwright often wrote scathing reviews of his own plays under the pseudonym Edna Welthorpe?
2. Which famous author was both born and died on a Halley’s Comet year?
3. Son and grandson of London vintners, which author’s last name derives from French for shoemaker?
4. Poe borrowed the meter of which British poet’s “Lady Geraldine's Courtship” for his famous “The Raven?”
5. What do Ernest Hemingway, Franz Kafka, Helen Keller, Jack London, Vladimir Lenin, and H. G. Wells all have in common?

Last Week's Answers

Which author tried to purchase the Minnesota Vikings in 1996, but was unable to do so because of expensive legal fees associated with his pending divorce?

Tom Clancy


Which author graduated college at 15 and enrolled at the Parsons School of Design to fulfill her dream of working in fashion?

Danielle Steel


Which author did most of his writing on looseleaf paper in a shed behind his house — a building that he now rents to illustrator Ted Dewan on the condition that if he no longer used it, that is would be passed on to other writers?

Phillip Pullman


What is the name of the band that includes famous authors such as Dave Barry, Amy Tan, and Steven King?

The Rock Bottom Remainders


Which author underwent hair transplant surgery, because he "was tired of looking like G. Gordon Liddy."

Dean Koontz


Image copyright 2011 www.rockbottomremainders.com

Martin Luther King Day Service Project: Wisteria Eradication at Cedar Swamp

Although one of our more interesting community service projects, today's visit to Cedar Swamp Wildlife Area near Dover, DE proved to be both fun and rewarding. This morning, Prestwick House generously sent several volunteers from its ranks to aid DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife in removing an invasive growth of wisteria from the reserve.

According to a recent local press release, "In October, volunteers began removal of a large colony of Japanese wisteria vines, an invasive vine that out-competes native plants, girdles trees and blankets native wildlife habitat. Two days are scheduled in January to continue this project. The second day, Monday, Jan. 17, coincides with Martin Luther King Day, which is designated as a day of community service to honor the contributions of Dr. King."

Orange Rhymes With...?

According to Thesaurus.com, the age old rumor that there are no words that rhyme with the words "orange" and "silver" is simply not true.

"The rumor that "orange" rhymes with no other word is incorrect. Orange rhymes with Blorenge (a mountain in Wales) and sporange (a sac where spores are made). "Silver" has the same rumor going for it, but it actually rhymes with Wilver (a nickname) and chilver (a ewe lamb)."

Well then, how about the word purple? Well, according to Wikipedia, "Robert Burns rhymes purple with 'curple' in his Epistle to Mrs. Scott. Burns is, as far as we can tell, the only writer to have used the word. A curple refers to 1) the small of the waist before the flare of the hips 2) a derriere, rump or behind or 3) the part of a saddle that passes under the rear end of the horse - often called a 'crapper'."

Introducing a New Way to Save On Paperbacks: The Prestwick House Paperback Discount Center!

Thanks to brand new volume discounts on Paperbacks, you can now save up to 35% on our amazing stock of over 1,000 books every day! Expand your classroom library, bulk up your curriculum with discounted teaching guide class sets, or even buy individual copies for each student — all at a fraction of the cost!

All eligible Paperbacks are listed on PrestwickHouse.com at 25% off — even if you buy just one! Volume discounts of 30% on orders with a retail value over $500 and 35% off orders with a retail value over $2,500 will be automatically deducted at checkout.



And if you’re looking for the best discount around, our unabridged Literary Touchstone Classic editions are still 50% every day with no minimum order size!

What are Teacher Reviewers Saying about Logical Fallacies PowerPoint Presentation?

Recently, we received feedback on the Logical Fallacies Powerpoint presentation from teachers on the Prestwick House National Curriculum Advisory Board. Read quotations from teachers below, check out FAQs, or find out more at PrestwickHouse.com!

The explanations are clear, and it contains good lecture material for class discussion. It may help students to see the material as the teacher explains/discusses instead of just reading out of the text.

- Rhonda Phillips

The table of contents makes this presentation very user friendly.

I wish I had had a product like this when I was teaching argumentation and debate. Not only is this product informative, the examples are plentiful and relevant.

The additional practices as a companion piece make this a "ready to teach" presentation. You have minimized the preparation time needed to teach this challenging topic.

- Marsha Fortune

These concepts are some of the most difficult to teach to high school students. This tool presents these abstract concepts with clear and easily understood examples. The practice exercises reinforce the concepts and will reduce planning time for the teacher.

- Sara Zeek

Beautifully designed and includes clear, well-defined examples of logical fallacies.
As the Lead AP Language teacher in my school district, I would definitely forward this resource to my colleagues.

- Shekema Silveri

The Cranky Language Lady: Wednesday Grammar Quiz for Grownups

The Cranky Language Lady: Wednesday Grammar Quiz for Grownups comes from CrankyLanguageLady.com. To find out more about the Cranky Language Lady, view sample pages from her new book, peruse her blog, or visit the website.

Grammar Quiz #8—Word choice and indulgent parents

Correct the following:

“I’m sorry,” said Patricia, “but my husband and I definately won’t be paying for the damage to your living room. We feel badly about what little Jeremy did, but no reasonable adult would ever own a white sofa and lamps that are breakable.”

View a possible correction.

FAQs for the Logical Fallacies PowerPoint Presentation

Visually engage your students with this clear-cut, easily adaptable presentation outlining 13 of the most common logical fallacies.

The Logical Fallacies PowerPoint presentation can be used on its own to increase understanding of informational texts, or as a supplement to Rhetoric, Logic, & Argumentation to facilitate review and discussion of readings.




What is the intended audience for this product?


11th- and 12th-grade AP or advanced college-prep classes


What are some of the uses and benefits of this product?

• Prepares students for the AP Language exam
• Fulfills various state and common core standards
• Teaches critical thinking, persuasion/argumentation, debate,analysis of informational texts, writing
• Presents complex information in relatively simple terms

What are the benefits of buying the PowerPoint if you already
have the book?

• Facilitates review and discussion of readings.
• Can be used to quiz or test students.
• Language is somewhat simpler and more concise than that in the book.
• More engaging than reading a textbook (helpful for reluctant readers).
• Focuses on some of the “easier” topics of the book.

What are the benefits of buying the book if you already have the PowerPoint?

The book is a bit more thorough in its coverage of the 13 fallacies. The first half of the book is not covered in the PowerPoint.This includes discussions of the following topics:the concept of rhetoric:

• The three rhetorical appeals
• Cognitive biases
• The concept of logic
• Differences between deductive and inductive logic
• Techniques for evaluating deductive a inductive logic
• A brief introduction to deductive (aka, “formal”) fallacies (the PowerPoint discusses only “informal” fallacies)

The Cranky Language Lady: Wednesday Grammar Quiz for Grownups

To start off the New Year right, Prestwick House will be syndicating the weekly Wednesday Grammar Quiz for Grownups from the lovely folks at CrankyLanguageLady.com. Don't let the "cranky" in their title scare you away. With a sense of humor, clarity, and only occasional crankiness, Cranky Language Lady is a great source for tips and products for writers, would-be writers, and those who simply need a little help with writing.

To find out more about the Cranky Language Lady, view sample pages from her new book, peruse her blog, or visit www.CrankyLanguageLady.com.

Wednesday Grammar Quiz for Grownups

Correct the following:

Erin literally died of embarrassment when she tripped and fell during the talent portion of the beauty contest. LaVerne on the other hand was literally turning cartwheels when she one the evening gown competition, and Julianna was literally bursting with pride when she one the swim suit competition.

See a possible correction and explanation.



Correct the following:

For my first dinner party, I’m going to serve: prime rib, baked potatos with sour cream, creamed asparagus, and hot fudge sundays with whip creme,” Elaina wrote to her mother in an e-mail message.

See a possible correction and explanation.

Tuesday Trivia

1. Which author tried to purchase the Minnesota Vikings in 1996, but was unable to do so because of expensive legal fees associated with his pending divorce?
2. Which author graduated college at 15 years old and enrolled at the Parsons School of Design to fulfill her dream of working in fashion?
3. Which author did most of his writing on loose leaf paper in a shed behind his house — a building that he now rents to illustrator Ted Dewan on the condition that if Dewan no longer uses it, it will be passed on to other writers?
4. What is the name of the band that includes famous authors such as Dave Barry, Amy Tan, and Steven King?
5. Which author underwent hair transplant surgery, because he "was tired of looking like G. Gordon Liddy?"

Last Week's Answers



Why does the main library at Indiana University sink over an inch each year?


The main library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.


What are the names of the two stone lions outside of the New York Public Library?


The names of the two stone lions in front of the New York Public Library are Patience and Fortitude. They were named by then-mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.


Who is the only author to have a book in every Dewey-decimal category?


Isaac Asimov


Of what group were W.B. Yeats, Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and C.G. Jung all members?


The Society for Psychical Research


Manuscripts of which Fort Pierce author were almost burned as trash?



While checking out reports of an illegal trash fire, Deputy Sheriff Pat Duvall discovered that the manuscripts of the late Zora Neale Hurston were being burned as trash. He quickly saved the singed documents which were recently the subject of an international panel at the University of Central Florida, “Exploring the global legacy of Zora Neale Hurston: Interdisciplinary perspectives on the research and writing of the anthropologist, folklorist and novelist.”