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Bill Bryson spreads misinformation!


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I have never heard anyone call a container of ice cream a "pixie." It is a tub!

 

And while we are at it, I wasn't amongst the many of the English speaking world who was surprised to find out that forehead has been traditionally pronounced "forrid." That's how we always say it.

 

I'm not finished yet, but it is a fun book :)

 

Rosie

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I have never heard anyone call a container of ice cream a "pixie." It is a tub!

 

And while we are at it, I wasn't amongst the many of the English speaking world who was surprised to find out that forehead has been traditionally pronounced "forrid." That's how we always say it.

 

I'm not finished yet, but it is a fun book :)

 

Rosie

 

 

I had forgotten all about the "forrid"!! It's been so long since I've heard/said that.

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i wish he were writing more often these days...

ann

 

His biography of Shakespeare came out around a year ago; it's the most accessible and readable biography I've come across. Dd is using it this year as reading in Renaissance history.

 

Later this fall two more books are coming out: one, The History of Private Life, is a series of investigations of aspects of domesticity triggered by observations of his home; Seeing Further is a history of the Royal Philosophical Society and therefore of early modern to modern British science. I've got them both on order!

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His biography of Shakespeare came out around a year ago; it's the most accessible and readable biography I've come across. Dd is using it this year as reading in Renaissance history.

 

Later this fall two more books are coming out: one, The History of Private Life, is a series of investigations of aspects of domesticity triggered by observations of his home; Seeing Further is a history of the Royal Philosophical Society and therefore of early modern to modern British science. I've got them both on order!

 

I have Seeing Further, ordered from Amazon UK, and am about 2/3 of the way though. I cannot speak highly enough about these essays. He did not write the whole book, just the introduction, but it's all brilliant. I do love his work, but have not read Mother Tongue. We listened to him read his childhood memoir, and what cracked me up was that when he tried to do the Iowa farm child voice, it came out (what I think of as) Cockney. :)

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That's a fun book! Do you think maybe some of the things you're finding to be misinformation are just anachronistic at this point? It's not a very new book.

 

Not the pixie thing! I'm 30, it was published in 1990, I think. My father is a great believer in the power of ice cream. If there were pixies involved, I'd have heard about it! Dh and I wondered if he was extrapolating Dixie cups out to all containers of ice cream being called pixies.

 

Rosie

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Ah, I read and enjoyed that one so much. He is so informative and just plain funny too.

Have you read his Down Under? That's also a great book.

 

Yes! Love the story about the kid helping out at the construction site that goes to cash the check ("If we ever get those *&%$# bricks"). Bill Bryson is hilariously funny. I also looove Thunderbolt Kid. We have it on audio Book and he is a superb reader.

 

Margaret

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Not the pixie thing! I'm 30, it was published in 1990, I think. My father is a great believer in the power of ice cream. If there were pixies involved, I'd have heard about it! Dh and I wondered if he was extrapolating Dixie cups out to all containers of ice cream being called pixies.

 

 

I think my daughter would buy into the belief that fairies have something to do with ice cream - she thinks both of them are wonderful!

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