Fumblerules

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Fumblerules are humorous rules for writing, collected from teachers of English grammar.[1] A fumblerule contains an example contrary to the advice it gives, such as "don't use no double negatives" and "eschew obfuscation".

The science editor George L. Trigg published a list of such rules in 1979.[2] Another list, from which this article takes its name, was compiled by William Safire on Sunday, 4 November 1979,[3][4] in his column "On Language" in the New York Times. Safire later authored a book entitled Fumblerules: A Lighthearted Guide to Grammar and Good Usage.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dennis Joseph Enright (1983). A Mania for Sentences. Chatto & Windus/Hogarth Press. 
  2. ^ Physics Review Letters 42 (12), pp. 747–748 (19 March 1979)
  3. ^ alt.usage.english.org's Humorous Rules for Writing
  4. ^ Safire, William (1979-11-04), “On Language”, New York Times 

[edit] External links