science

Richard Lederer (writer)

Richard Lederer (writer) is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Richard Lederer (writer) rather than just read about it. In short: Richard Lederer (born 1938) is an American linguist, author, speaker, and teacher. He is best known for his books on the English language and on wordplay such as puns, oxymorons, and anagrams.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Richard Lederer (born 1938) is an American linguist, author, speaker, and teacher. He is best known for his books on the English language and on wordplay such as puns, oxymorons, and anagrams. He has been dubbed "the Wizard of Idiom," "Attila the Pun," and "Conan the Grammarian." His weekly column, "Lederer on Language," appears in the San Diego Union-Tribune and his articles are in newspapers and magazines throughout the United States including the Mensa Bulletin. He was elected International Punster of the Year in 1989 and was the 2002 recipient of the Golden Gavel of Toastmasters International.

Early life and education The youngest of five children, Lederer grew up in West Philadelphia. He graduated from Haverford College as a pre-med student. He attended Harvard Law School for one year, then switched to the Master of Arts in teaching program at Harvard University. He taught English and media at the St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire for 27 years until 1989. In 1980, he earned a PhD in Linguistics from the University of New Hampshire. His Jewish parents were from Poland and Germany, and he had a bar mitzvah.

Career He has written more than 50 books, including Anguished English books starting in 1987, Get Thee to a Punnery (1988), Crazy English (1989), The Miracle of Language (1992), Amazing Words (2011), and The Joy of Names (2018). Known as a "verbivore," a word he coined in the late 1980s, Lederer's interests include uncovering word and phrase origins, pointing out common grammatical errors and fallacies, and exploring palindromes, anagrams, and other forms of recreational wordplay. His books about various subjects other than language include Presidential Trivia (2007), A Treasury for Cat Lovers (2009) and A Treasury for Dog Lovers (2009), The Gift of Age (2011), A Tribute to Teachers (2011), and American Trivia with Caroline McCullagh (2012). In 1998, he and Charles Elster became the first co-hosts of the weekly radio show, A Way with Words, produced by KPBS, San Diego Public Radio, and broadcast by multiple stations throughout the United States. In October 2006, Lederer retired from A Way with Words and was replaced by Grant Barrett. He continues broadcasting through regular guest appearances on several major market public and Clear-Channel commercial radio stations. Lederer makes more than a hundred appearances each year, many of them benefit performances in San Diego.

Personal life Lederer and his first wife, Rhoda, have three children: Howard Lederer and Annie Duke, both world-renowned poker players, and Katy Lederer, an author and poet. Lederer married Simone van Egeren in 1992.

Publications Richard Lederer has had over 50 titles published.

Books Adventures of a Verbivore—Published by Pocket Books (March 1995) Crazy English—Published by Gallery Books (June 1998) The Miracle of Language—Published by Gallery Books (April 1999) A Man of My Words: Reflections on the English Language—Published by St. Martin's Press (October 2005) Word Wizard: Super Bloopers, Rich Reflections, and Other Acts of Word Magic, collection of essays—Published by St. Martin's Press (March 2006) A Treasury for Dog Lovers: Wit and Wisdom, Information and Inspiration About Man's Best Friend—Published by Howard Books (October 2009) A Treasury for Cat Lovers: Wit and Wisdom, Information and Inspiration About Our Feline Friends—Published by Howard Books (October 2009) The Gift of Age: Wit and Wisdom, Information and Inspiration for the Chronologically Endowed, and Those Who Will Be—Published by Marion Street Press (April 2011) A Tribute to Teachers: Wit and Wisdom, Information and Inspiration About Those Who Change Our Lives—Published by Marion Street Press (September 2011) Amazing Words: An Alphabetical Anthology of Alluring, Astonishing, Beguiling, Bewitching, Enchanting, Enthralling, Mesmerizing, Miraculous, Tantalizing, Tempting, and Transfixing Words—Published by Marion Street Press (September 2012) Lederer on Language: A Celebration of English, Good Grammar, and Wordplay, collection of essays—Published by Marion Street Press (November 2012) The Joy of Names—Published by Marion Street Press (September 2018)

Children's Pun and Games: Jokes, Riddles, Daffynitions, Tairy Fales, Rhymes, and More Word Play for Kids—Published by Chicago Review Press (June 1996) The Circus of Words: Acrobatic Anagrams, Parading Palindromes, Wonderful Words on a Wire, and More Lively Letter Play—Published by Chicago Review Press (May 2001) Wild & Wacky Animal Jokes, co-authored with Jim Ertner—Published by Marion Street Press (April 2011) Super Funny Animal Jokes, co-authored with Jim Ertner—Published by Marion Street Press (April 2011) Cleverly Comical Animal Jokes, co-authored with Jim Ertner—Published by Marion Street Press (April 2012) Rip Roaring Animal Jokes, co-authored with Jim Ertner—Published by Marion Street Press (April 2012) Animal Cracker Uppers Jr., co-authored with Jim Ertner—Published by Marion Street Press (November 2013) Monsters Unchained!: Over 1,000 Drop-Dead Funny Jokes, Riddles, and Poems about Scary, Slimy, Slithery, Spooky, Slobbery Creatures—Published by Marion Street Press (October 2014)

Trivia Literary Trivia: Fun and Games for Book Lovers—Published by Vintage Books (November 1994) Classic Literary Trivia—Published by Gibbs Smith (April 2007) Presidential Trivia—Published by Gibbs Smith (October 2007) American Trivia: What We All Should Know About U.S. History, Culture & Geography, co-authored with Caroline McCullagh—Published by Gibbs Smith (February 2012) American Trivia Quiz Book, co-authored with Caroline McCullagh—Published by Gibbs Smith (September 2014)

Puns and Jokes The Cunning Linguist: Ribald Riddles, Lascivious Limericks, Carnal Corn, and Other Good, Clean Dirty Fun—Published by St. Martin's Press (December 2003) The Giant Book Of Animal Jokes: Beastly Humor For Grownups, co-authored with Jim Ertner—Published by Stone and Scott (February 2006) Get Thee to a Punnery: An Anthology of Intentional Assaults Upon the English Language—Published by Gibbs Smith (April 2006) The Ants Are My Friends: A Punderful Celebration of Song, co-authored with Stan Kegel—Published by Marion Street Press (September 2007)

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Richard Lederer (writer)

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Richard Lederer (writer) claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Richard Lederer (writer) before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Richard Lederer (writer) ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Richard Lederer (writer)

In research: Richard Lederer (writer) appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Richard Lederer (writer) in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Richard Lederer (writer) is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1938 births, 20th-century American non-fiction writers, 21st-century American non-fiction writers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Richard Lederer (writer) outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Richard Lederer (writer) in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Richard Lederer (writer) in simple terms?

Richard Lederer (born 1938) is an American linguist, author, speaker, and teacher. He is best known for his books on the English language and on wordplay such as puns, oxymorons, and anagrams.

Why does Richard Lederer (writer) matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Richard Lederer (writer)?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Richard Lederer (writer).