Foolish Words: The Most Stupid Words Ever Spoken

We have all heard them. We have all read them. We have all uttered them. They are foolish words. In her recent book, Foolish Words, Laura Ward has compiled approximately 800 quotes ranging from the humorous to utterly stupid. This is an entertaining collection of verbal blunders, as well as misquotes and misprints.

The first chapter, "Brain in Neutral - Mouth in Drive," will make the reader chuckle. “Coming home I drove into the wrong house and collided with a tree I don’t have.” This quote is from an accident claim submitted to an insurance company.

Ward cites examples of the consequences of the misprint of just one word. The scope of misquotes and misprints encompasses the printed media from The New York Times to television broadcasts to local church bulletins. In "20/20 Hindsights," the reader will grin while reading predictions by individuals like Bill Gates about the future of computers and technology and Walt Disney about the popularity of animated films.

The faux pas of politicians continue to be fodder for comedians and late night talk show hosts. The verbal blunders of our national and international leaders are brought together in the chapter, "History is Bunk." Former President George W. Bush merited his own chapter, titled "Dubbya."

Whether you are a sports fan, enjoy a good poke at the legal profession, or find the battle of the sexes engaging, there is a chapter for everyone. It is safe to assume that we have all read at least one foolish warning on a product label. The quotes in the last chapter will not disappoint the reader. Not only is the content of this book comical but the graphic presentation is fun, from the orange cover with bright pink lip print to the artistic use of color on each page.

•