Available Now!

Dances with Words
Playing live in San Diego
July 22-24
(Click here)

Richard’s latest book
American History for Everyone
(click here)

Richard’s revealing interview
in the San Diego Union-Tribune,
Nov 2nd
(click here)

Live Speaking Events

“Someone should declare Richard Lederer a national treasure” — Richmond Times-Dispatch

“America’s Wittiest Verbalist” — Book of the Month Club

“The true King of Language Comedy” — Sidney Sheldon

“America’s Top Pun” — Chicago Tribune

“Columnist Extraordinaire” — The New Yorker

“Lederer beguiles and bedazzles” — Los Angeles Times

Richard's Latest Column

Read “Lederer on Language” every other Saturday in the San Diego Union Tribune and right here

The difference between ‘lie’ and ‘lay’ is a grave matter

DEAR RICHARD: Have you ever seen this tombstone?: Here lies (not “lays”) Billie Woody Robins Reed English Teacher –Bill Plachy, San Marcos Your tombstone is a new one to me, and I am delighted to add it to my cemetery of occupational epitaphs that demonstrate how some folks take their jobs with them to the very end. I hope that readers will dig the humor and won’t find the plots too deep and the comedy too grave: Epitaph on a dentist: Stranger: Approach this spot with gravity. John Brown is filling his last cavity. Epitaph on a lawyer: Goembel, John E. “The defense rests.” Epitaph on an auctioneer: Born 1828 Going! Going!! Gone!!! 1876 My favorite in this category is

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And if you send me a message, I promise to respond.

Newest Books
American History for Everyone
American History for Everyone will make the American adventure come alive for you.  
Anguished English
Laugh yourself silly with the national best-selling Anguished English, a side-splitting collection of accidental assaults on the English language.
Jest for the Pun of It
Whet your Wit with this Hilarious Punster's Bible. Also identifies what puns are and how to create them.
A Feast of Words
This book is a career-capping anthology of essays that inspire, enlighten, and tickle the funny bone.