
The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate
Sign in to keep track of books you’ve read and want to read.
Between TV talk shows, radio call-in programs, email and the Internet, spontaneous-talk media has skyrocketed in the '90s. People are interacting more frequently and more fervently than ever before, turning the English language into an indecipherable mess. Now, this unique and concise compendium presents the most confused and misused words in the language today — words misused by careless speakers and writers everywhere. It defines, discerns and distinguishes the finer points of sense and meaning. Was it fortuitous or only fortunate? Are you trying to remember, or more fully recollect? Is he uninterested or disinterested? Is it healthful or healthy, regretful or regrettable, notorious or infamous? The answers to these and many more fascinating etymological questions can be found within the pages of this invaluable (or is it valuable?) reference.
Liked The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate? Here’s where I’d start.
These suit anyone who liked The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.
-
The Superior Person's Book of Words Shares language, nonfiction, writing -
They Have a Word for It: A Lighthearted Lexicon of Untranslatable Words & Phrases Shares language, nonfiction, writing -
The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations: The Complete Opinionated Guide for the Careful Speaker Shares language, nonfiction, writing -
Verbatim: From the bawdy to the sublime, the best writing on language for word lovers, grammar mavens, and armchair linguists Shares language, nonfiction, writing
“People who read The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate tend to reach for these next.”
-
The Dord, the Diglot, and an Avocado or Two: The Hidden Lives and Strange Origins of Common and Not-So-Common Words
-
Lapsing Into a Comma: A Curmudgeon's Guide to the Many Things That Can Go Wrong in Print--And How to Avoid Them
-
The Disheveled Dictionary: A Curious Caper Through Our Sumptuous Lexicon
-
Expletive Deleted: A Good Look at Bad Language