Mospeda

Hello Professor Small.

How do you view Edward Johnson's (of The Handbook fame) contention that great English is "a kind of snobbery"? Hang on, let me quote him...

"English that is good enough in one context may not be good enough in another, and thus good English amounts to savoir faire, a touchstone of the snob."

[...]

"Grammar and usage are therefore touchy subjects, like class distinctions—they are class distinctions. We expect occasional correction from a parent or teacher, but any friend who corrects us had better be a good friend indeed; he or she is implicitly criticizing our background, our education, our place in the world, our being."

And he's humble too, of course. ;) Thanks for responding, Jimmy.

I am sufficiently chastened; though I like how you answered that without answering. I guess the "intelligence of the political culture" you mentioned earlier is rubbing off. ;) That said,

Snobbery is just dull, no?

Aren't we forgetting Basil Fawlty, Professor?

Also, do you have a personal reading list that you could share with us?

Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Brian, your dad played such a large role in my early development.

To this day, watching Guy Smiley never fails to bring a smile to my face ... http://youtu.be/90yFYPNM7cg

Have you considered changing your last name to something more casting-friendly? Say, Eric Schwarzmann or Eric Greenberg. Or perhaps, aim for the niche roles and go with Eric Castro or Eric Lopez Jr. Granted, being a soulless ginger makes it a little tough to blend in, but hair dyes were invented for a reason.