This book will help you master confusing words and their usage. This easy-to-use reference focuses on three major classes of complicated words: Words that are pronounced alike but are different in spelling, meaning or both, such as sail and sale; gilt guilt.
An easy-to-use guide that will help the user understand confusing words and their usage and to then choose the correct spelling or meaning of a word for any given situation.
The small but very concise NTC's Pocket Dictionary of Words and Phrases offers 6,000 basic and common English words plus 6,000 basic and common English idioms and phrases. You will find this portable title essential in the classroom, at home, or traveling, when you need help to recall word and phrase meanings.
Contains approximately 950 old and new proverbs and clichés in use in English, each clearly defined and illustrated by two or more realistic examples. Allusions to American, British or European cultural elements are explained, and idioms derived from proverbs are defined as well. Includes a Phrase-Finder Index that allows the user to find an expression by looking up any major word in it.--From publisher description.
Dictionaries are among the most frequently consulted books, yet we know remarkably little about them. Who makes them? Where do they come from? What do they offer? How can we evaluate them? The Dictionary of Lexicography provides answers to all these questions and addresses a wide range of issues: * the traditions of dictionary-making * the different types of dictionaries and other reference works (such as thesaurus, encyclopedia, atlas and telephone directory) * the principles and concerns of lexicographers and other reference professionals * the standards of dictionary criticism and dictionary use. It is both a professional handbook and an easy-to-use reference work. This is the first time that the subject has been covered in such a comprehensive manner in the form of a reference book. All articles are self-contained, cross-referenced and uniformly structured. The whole is an up-to-date and forward-looking survey of lexicography.
The revised and updated third edition of this comprehensive slang dictionary has more than 800 new expressions. Realistic example sentences--provided for each sense of every entry--show how expressions are used in current, everyday American English. Pronunciations and cautionary notes are provided as needed, and a Phrase-Finder Index helps users locate entries quickly.
Broken down by category, this comprehensive reference is the go-to guide for readers and writers who want to expand their knowledge of language. This unique reference book strives to define words and phrases that the average person often encounters but which may not be immediately familiar. Batten, kiosk, proctor, coup de grace, alliteration, parsec, corona, renal, joystick, decant, citadel. Broken down into over fifty categories—from cultural essentials like art, history, and sports to modern obsessions like text messaging and hip hop slang—this book is a word lover's dream and a useful handbook for any student. It covers theatre. It even has a section of foreign words commonly used in English. Expand your vocabulary. Improve your writing. Broaden your horizons!