The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate
- Book Review,
by Eugene H. Ehrlich
Amazon.com
In The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate, Eugene Ehrlich pulls no punches about his intent. This book and its companion, The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate, are prescriptive rather than descriptive, dedicated to recording language as it should be rather than how it often is. In the preface, Ehrlich announces that he means his book to be an "antidote" to the "effects wrought by the forces of linguistic darkness"--meaning, of course, all lexicographers more permissive than he is. That said, Ehrlich's conservative approach handily disposes of many thorny usage problems. The entry for "effectual," for example, distinguishes between "effective" and "effectual" in a concise and utterly persuasive way: "...a law that is effective--operative, in effect--becomes effectual--answers its purpose--only when the law is enforced." This is not your ordinary dictionary; Ehrlich thinks that defining everyday words with commonly accepted meanings is a massive waste of time. Instead, he concentrates on unusual words or those that present interesting problems. The result is a fascinating dictionary that can be read cover to cover, like a book; do so and your vocabulary may never be the same again.
Book Description
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.
Download Description
Readers, writers, wordsmiths, verbivores, and logophiles rejoice! Renowned lexicographer and author Eugene Ehrlich gathers the 3,500 most engrossing words in the English language and their concise definitions, including short discussions for words most often confused and misused by today's speakers and writers.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.
About the Author
Eugene Ehrlich, formerly a member of the department of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, is the author of numerous reference books on language, including Amo, Amos, Amat, and More and The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinary Literate. He is also the coeditor of the Oxford American Dictionary.
Excerpted from The Highly Selective Dictionary for the Extraordinarily Literate by Eugene Ehrlich, Richard Lederer. Copyright © 1997. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
A abacus n. soroban abandoned adj. cade, derelict, profligate abate v. mitigate, palliate, quash abdicate v. abjure, abnegate, demit abject adj. craven, fawning, ignominious able adj. habile abnormal adj. heteroclite, preternatural abnormality n. deuteropathy abolish v. disestablish, extirpate abominable adj. flagitious, odious Abominable Snowman yeti aborigine n. autochthon, indigenous inhabitant abound v. exuberate abridge v. attenuate, epitomize abscond v. decamp absent-minded adj. distrait, distraite absinth n. wormwood absolute adj. 1. rank, unmitigated; 2. assoluta, inviolable, peremptory absolution, grant shrive absorbent adj. bibulous absorption n. immersion, prepossession abstain v. eschew, forbear abstention n. abstemiousness abstract adj. noetic abstract n. compendium, epitome abstract v. prescind abstruse adj. involuted, recondite absurdity n. bˆtise abundance n. cornucopia, plenitude, profligacy abuse v. calumniate, castigate, rail, revile, traduce abuse n. aspersion, billingsgate, calumniation, castigation, obloquy, opprobrium, traducement academic adj. moot accept v. stomach accessible adj. pervious accessory n. ancillary, appurtenance, parergon accident n. allision, fortuity accidental adj. adventitious, aleatory, fortuitous, serendipitous acclaim n. ‚clat, kudos accomplish v. compass, effectuate accomplished adj. compleat, consummate accomplishments n. res gestae account n. hexaemeron accrue v. redound accumulation n. alimentation, hypertrophy accusation n. gravamen, impeachment accuse v. impeach, implead, inculpate, recriminate accusing adj. accusatory, criminative accustom v. acculturate, inure, wont achievement n. capstone, tour de force acknowledge v. avouch, homologate acme n. apogee, ne plus ultra acquiescence n. complaisance acquit v. exculpate acronym n. initialism active adj. volitant actor n. deuteragonist, onnagata, protagonist actress n. ing‚nue, soubrette actual adj. veridical actuality n. entelechy adage n. aphorism, apothegm adapt v. indigenize, quadrate adaptation n. rifacimento added adj. postiche addition n. 1. additament, adjunct, appendicle; 2. parogoge additional adj. adscititious address n. allocution, apostrophe, salutatory address v. apostrophize adherent n. ideologue, pr‚cisian adhesive adj. viscid, viscoid, viscose adjacent adj. limitrophe, vicinal adjunct n. appanage adjust v. collimate administer v. adhibit admirer n. votary admit v. intromit adoring adj. idolatrous, seraphic adorn v. bedizen, emmarble, titivate adornment n. frippery, garniture adulation n. blandishment, fulsomeness, sycophancy adulterated adj. adulterine adulterer n. Ischys adultery n. cuckoldry, fornication advance n. anabasis Advent n. Parousia adventure n. emprise adventurer n. filibuster, landloper adviser n. consigliere, consultor advisory adj. exhortatory, hortative, hortatory advocate n. paladin, paraclete affected adj. minikin, missish, niminy-piminy, pr‚cieuse, pr‚cieux, recherch‚ affected speech euphuism, periphrasis affecting adj. connotative, emotive affection n. coraz¢n, dotage, predilection affirm v. asseverate, predicate affix v. adhibit affront n. lSse majest‚, lese majesty afraid adj. disquieted, fearsome, pavid afresh adv. de nouveau, de novo after a death post obitum after a meal postprandial after a war postbellum aftereffect n. sequela afterlife n. futurity aftermath n. rowen after the fact ex post facto, post factum after the Fall postlapsarian after the Flood postdiluvian agent n. comprador, ‚minence grise agile adj. lissome, yare agility n. alacrity, celerity, legerity aging adj. senescent agitate v. commove, discompose agitated adj. corybantic, overwrought agitator n. agent provocateur, incendiarist agnosticism n. nescience agrarian adj. agrestic, predial agreeable adj. complaisant, consensual, consonant, conversable, ingratiating, sapid, sipid aggressive adj. assaultive, officious agricultural adj. geoponic, georgic aide n. coadjutant aimlessness n. circuity, fecklessness air, stale fug air hole spiracle airs n. flubdub, hauteur, superciliousness airy adj. ethereal, illusory akin adj. cognate, consanguineous alarm n. tocsin alarmist n. Jeremiah alchemist n. Paracelsus alcoholic n. dipsomaniac, inebriate alcove n. carrel, inglenook alibi, person providing an compurgator alien n. metic alien adj. heterochthonous, peregrine alignment n. syzygy allegiance n. fealty allied adj. connate, federate alligator n. caiman alluring adj. sirenic, toothsome almond-shaped adj. amygdaline, amygdaloid alms n. maundy money aloofness n. froideur alphabet n. christcross-row, Glagolitic, ogham altar boy acolyte altar cloth pall, pallium alter v. bushel, jigger, sophisticate altogether adv. holus-bolus amalgamate v. commingle, conjoin amalgamation n. conflation ambassador n. chiaus, internuncio, nuncio, plenipotentiary ambiguity, remove disambiguate ambiguous adj. Delphic, equivocal, oracular ambitious person arriviste ambulance chasing barratry ambush n./v. ambuscade amenities n. suavities
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