Books : Cassell's Colloquial Spanish: A Handbook of Idiomatic Usage
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by: Arthur Bryson Gerrard
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 463.21
EAN: 9780020794301
ISBN: 0020794304
Label: John Wiley & Sons
Manufacturer: John Wiley & Sons
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 303
Publication Date: March 01, 1981
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Sales Rank: 117739
Studio: John Wiley & Sons
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
Cassell’s Colloquial Spanish is one of a newly revised series of handbooks which provide convenient and fascinating coverage of modern languages, and of the pitfalls and difficulties inherent in colloquial, colourful, or idiomatic usage. Written with knowledge and enthusiasm, each book is not only a valuable source of reference but also an entertaining and absorbing portrait of the current state of the language. Among the areas covered are:
common words with no exact equivalent in English: detailed guidance is given false friends: the dangerous words which look similar to an English word but mean something slightly—or very—different spoken language: common usage which differs from the written forms levels of meaning: including guidance on words you may hear but should only use with care—or not at all! special language: including the idiom of polite formalities and telephones, and special vocabularies
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - One of a kind- Buy it.
This book is indespensible if you want to gain insight into colloquial Spanish without the luxury of living in a Spanish-speaking country for a few years. Not only that, but it's fun to read. I pick it up and read it over and over. I'm actually on my second copy having worn one out.
¡Cómpralo ahora mismo!
Rating: - Invaluable tool
This book is a gem for the student of Spanish, providing the various colloquial meanings of a good many useful Spanish words. The author's various first-hand anecdotes about the situations in which he heard the words used in a particular way will amuse even the casual monolingual reader. Some of his warnings about linguistic etiquette might be a little out of date in the more modern, and Americanized, parts of the Spanish-speaking world, but it's always better to err on the side of propriety. Your ... Read More
Rating: - buy 1st edition for $6.50
first edition half this size by same author for $6.50
'beyond the dictionary in spanish'
Rating: - Helpful publishing info
In an earlier commentary about this book, a reviewer wondered how a $7 paperback could be going for upwards of $140. Well, the answer is: scarcity. This is where you have to be careful. The book listed under the title "Cassell's Colloquial Spanish" is said to be the third revised edition, published in 1981. That edition is indeed quite rare, which accounts for its fetching big bucks. However, that's not the end of the story. A couple of other reviewers lamented that there isn't an updated version of ... Read More
Rating: - A Great Break -- And You Still Learn A Lot
I'm an intermediate Spanish learner, and when I get sick of grinding memorization, etc, I pick up this book. It's enjoyable, and you really can read it straight through.
Here's a representative entry that shows how many examples the author gives from various countries --
carpeta: A Friend of unusual Falsity since not only does it not mean "carpet" but has very diverse meanings within the Hispanic world. In Spain and Mexico it means a "file," of the sort used in offices. In ... Read More
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