Eugene Ehrlich

If you're serious about writing and speaking language that crackles with delightful and obscure words, then you must have this book. As indicated by the title, it is a selective thesaurus and dictionary containing words and phrases, focusing on the more arcane or colorful choices.

From the Publisher: 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.

Not a tome, not an encyclopedia, the Oxford American Dictionary is an ingeniously crafted tool for all who use American English. The goal has been to simplify: defubutuibs as ckear abd brief as possible, no obsucre pronunication symbols, no unneeded variant spellings or pronunciation, no filled material. This dictionary is compact, easy to handle, easy to use.