Condition: Good. Hardcover 1957 edition. Based on "Fowler's Modern English Usage."

Condition: Excellent. Hardcover. Over 75 years old, this classic text has become the standard work on the correct but natural use of English and has ensured that Fowler is a household name. Written in Fowler's inimitable style, it gives clear guidance on usage, word formation, inflexion, spelling, pronunciation, punctuation, and typography. Revised and edited by Sir Ernest Gowers.

Charles Hodgson's Carnal Knowledge takes us on a strange and wonderful tour through the human body. Here, though, the vessel is language itself: the body of words that we use to describe the various lobes, appendages, organs, and squishy things that we are made out of.

Hamilton's inquiry into the world of books and writing and publishing is sharp, fresh, and witty. Each chapter addresses a single, often quirky aspect of the book world. One bemoans the idiocy of most acknowledgments pages; others, the cheerleading and book-reportish quality of contemporary reviewing, an etiquette guide for authors and readers, a survey of bad writing by U.S. presidents, and more.

Hardcover: Condition: good. "One of the finest biographies of the twentieth century" -- Anthony Burgess

The new Chambers Pocket Dictionary and Thesaurus combines a comprehensive dictionary with an extensive thesaurus. It is the essential tool for anyone wanting to use English in a more colorful and creative way. This compact reference work includes more than 35,000 dictionary definitions and 80,000 synonyms and antonyms, notes on word history and origins, grammar and usage tips.

Check Plus combines Spell Check, Word Check, and The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition, in a handsome and sturdy slipcase. Spell Check is a handy and up-to-date guide to the correct spelling of 40,000 commonly misspelled words. Word Check is a compact thesaurus that discusses 3,000 synonyms in easy-to-read paragraphs. The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition, presents some 20,000 acronyms and abbreviations including cyberspeak.

Completely updated to include the very latest vocabulary, this third edition of the Concise Oxford-Duden German Dictionary contains coverage of over 150,000 words and phrases, and 250,000 translations, with hundreds of new words in each language.

A nostalgic word trip through the highs and lows of American English from the last century, this book pays special attention to words that enjoyed a brief vogue only to end up abandoned and nearly forgotten: one-reelers, bulls, jet jockeys, keypunch operators, the bugged-out and the slackers. They all have a place in this book in engaging essays that put these words in their historical and sociological context.

Condition: Good. Hardcover. 1957. First printing. An excellent work on how to use the language with elegance, grace and precision.

Condition: Fair. 5000 terms and expressions, from "a-going and a-coming" to Zuni.

Ella Minnow Pea is an epistolary novel set in the island of Nollop and home to the inventor of "The Quick Brown Fox Jumps Over The Lazy Dog." The islanders have erected a monument to honor their hero, but one day a tile with the letter "z" falls from the statue. The leaders interpret the falling tile as a message from beyond the grave and the letter is banned from use. Eventually, the only letters remaining are LMNOP, when Ella Minnow Pea discovers the phrase that will save their language.

The Little Book of Legal Writing; The Lawyer's Book of Rules for Effective Legal Writing; User's Guide to The Bluebook; Kissing Legalese Goodbye; A Practical Guide to Writing Law School Essay Exams

Condition: Excellent. -- A guide to precise phrases, grammar, and pronunciation can be key; it can even be admired. But beloved? Yet from its first appearance in 1926, Fowler's was just that.

The word "philavery" was invented by Christopher Foyle, the chairman of the famous Foyle's Bookshop in London, to describe this book: a collection of words chosen simply on the grounds of their aesthetic appeal. Some of the words appeal because of their aptness, some for their obscurity, some for their euphony, and some for their quirkiness. As a collection, they represent the fruits of a lifetime of reading and will delight all word lovers.

"As Lehrer describes in fluid prose, the brain’s reasoning centers are easily fooled, often making judgments based on nonrational factors like presentation (a sales pitch or packaging)...Lehrer is a delight to read, and this is a fascinating book that will help everyone better understand themselves and their decision making." --Publisher's Weekly

Lerer is a fan of English. He writes with friendly reverence of the masters, illustrating through example the monumental influence they had on the English we speak and write today (Shakespeare alone coined nearly 6,000 words). Anecdotes illustrate how developments in the physical world (technological advances, human migration) gave rise to new words and word-forms. The book percolates with creative energy and will please anyone intrigued by how our richly variegated language came to be.

Hardcover. Condition: excellent. Although several biographers have thrown themselves into the breach since this magisterial book first appeared in 1959, none have come close to matching the late Richard Ellmann's achievement. He's an admirable stylist--graceful, witty, and happily unintimidated by his brilliant subjects. In addition, Ellmann seems to have an uncanny grasp on Joyce's personality.

This dictionary is packed with features, including 90,000 words and phrases, with more than 120,000 translations based on Brazilian Portuguese; hundreds of abbreviations, acronyms, and proper nouns, as well as idioms and grammatical constructions; Portuguese verb conjugation tables; an innovative supplement on life and culture in Brazil, which covers topics ranging from the economy, media, education, and health care to arts and leisure

Eight Larousse Spanish or Spanish/English books: practice book, enunciation text, synonym/antonym and five other dictionaries.

The Concise Dictionary is the ideal companion for those who wish to learn and become fluent in contempory Spanish: 90,000 words and phrases; 120 translations; extensive, up-to-date coverage of general and professional Spanish; and more.

This book is unique. No other American book combines the strong evidence and myth-busting arguments for plain legal language with so much practical advice and so many useful examples. And no other book is more likely to open lawyers' eyes to the emptiness of legalese--the style that has afflicted legal writing for centuries.

A Vocabula Used Book. Condition Good. Hardcover.

This new volume promises two things competitors such as American Heritage lack. The first concerns technology: Encarta includes entries for "electronic town hall," "LMK" ("let me know" in e-mail), and LINUX. The second difference concerns its audience. Encarta aims at undergraduates and others who need help avoiding common errors. Frequent wrong spellings ("vinagrette," "twelvth") appear as their own entries in gray strikethrough type; inserts following definitions explain correct usage.

Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell? Backed by years of research and delivered in lively, energetic prose, Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me) offers a fascinating explanation of self-deception -- how it works, the harm it can cause, and how we can overcome it.

Condition: Good. When Modern American Usage was first published in 1966, critics hailed it as the "most high-minded book of its kind since Fowler." The American language has changed since then--but many usage manuals still focus on describing these changes rather than prescribing the rules that help us understand them. This revised edition brings back into use the one American manual that unashamedly declares that we should all aspire to the best in our language--which is often the simplest.

This third edition contains thousands of words, focusing on modern terminology, including slang and colloquialisms, rather than historical terminology.

In this companion to the popular Word Histories and Mysteries: From Abracadabra to Zeus, the most surprising stories in the history of English vocabulary are told as a series of brief notes written in a lively and entertaining style. Conveniently arranged in alphabetical order, the notes explore all corners of the dictionary, from everyday words like flak and sideburns to scientific terms like nitrogen to regionalisms like lagniappe.

Yiddish, Spanish, Hebrew, and English -- at various points in Ilan Stavans's life, each of these has been the prominent and controversial scholar's primary language. In this rich memoir, the linguistic chameleon outlines his remarkable cultural heritage from his birth in politically fragile Mexico through his years as a student activist, a young Zionist in Israel, and a student of theology in New York to his career now as a noted academic and writer.

Hardcover. Condition: very good. Richard Ellmann capped an illustrious career in biography (his James Joyce is considered one of the masterpieces of the 20th century) with this life of Oscar Wilde, which won both the National Book Critics Circle Award and Pulitzer Prize on its original publication in 1988.

The creative world of the writer is uncovered in this captivating exploration of the techniques of poetry revision. An in-depth look at the writing processes of 54 poems, each by a different modern author, is provided, complete with early drafts, subsequent revised versions, and short essays from the poets themselves revealing how and why they made specific changes, as well as their editing secrets.

This book is out of print but ought not to be. Condition: Good. Ex-library book with mylar cover, stamps, stickers, etc. -- Why do some words stir people or pique their interest? The authors of this book analyze and explain the many methods for turning a phrase and show how to apply them to your own writing.

This completely revised sixth edition also contains, in its entirety, an exact reproduction of the 17th Edition of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Also includes, for the first time, references to state court rules along with examples of how to cite cases according to those rules, as well as expanded coverage of citing electronic documents.

In Semiotics of Peasants in Transition, Irene Portis-Winner examines the complexities of ethnic identity in a traditional Slovene village with unique ties to an American city. At once an investigation into a particular anthropological situation and a theoretical exploration of the semiotics of ethnic culture, Semiotics of Peasants in Transition describes the complex relationships that have existed among the villagers remaining in Slovenia and those who emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio.

Here is the ultimate A to Z collection of terms describing virtually every conceivable sexual attraction, position, and phobia -- and some you might not have imagined. This complete reference guide offers fascinating discoveries in its precise and playful words for erotic subjects.

Bored to death by the old standby writing guides? Want something with more spunk than Strunk and more bite than White? Something students might actually read? You need Sin Boldly! Dr. Dave's Guide to Writing the College Paper. This one is destined to become a cult classic. It's witty, it's fun.

In this remarkable compilation, Weiner reveals stories and meanings of familiar and unfamiliar words and phrases from sources such as Hollywood movies, the theater, publishing, broadcast TV, and other media. Featuring everything from "yellowbacks" to "yellow journalism," "white mail" to the "Great White Way," and "teasers" to "spin doctors," this book is the "leading light."

Most people know that words like burrito and quesadilla come from Spanish, but there are many more English words that we would never suspect are Spanish until we look closely. Did you know that the words breeze and hammock come from Spanish? The jerky in beef jerky, for example, is from Spanish charquí, and the English verb vamoose is from the expression ¡Vamos! which means Lets go! in Spanish.

In Spoken Here, Mark Abley journeys around the world seeking out languages in peril — Manx, Mohawk, Boro, Yiddish, and many more. Along the way he reveals delicious linguistic oddities and shows us what is lost when one of the world"s six thousand tongues dies — an irreplaceable worldview and a wealth of practical knowledge. He also examines the forces, from pop culture to creoles to global politics, that threaten to wipe out 90 percent of languages by this century's end.

N. S. Trubetzkoy (1890–1939) is generally celebrated today as the creator of the science of phonology. While his monumental Grundzüge der Phonologie was published posthumously and contains a summary of Trubetzkoy’s late views on the linguistic function of speech sounds, there has been, until now, no practical way to trace the development of his thought. With the publication of Studies in General Linguistics and Language Structure, linguists have that opportunity.

The revised, 21st-century edition of The American Heritage Children's Dictionary is designed for children in grades 3-6 (ages 8-11). There are more than 34,000 updated entries. The letters are large enough to read. Every word is used in a sentence. And there are over 800 color photos and illustrations!

The American Heritage College Thesaurus provides a wide range of synonyms, ranging from mainstream vocabulary to the colorful alternatives that make English such a rich and versatile language. Thousands of slang, informal, and regional words broaden the coverage even further, always clearly labeled to ensure that the writer chooses the right word for the right context.

Written by the editors of the American Heritage dictionaries, this book will encourage students and parents alike to energize their word power. The book has two parts—a challenge section and an answers section. Each question in the challenge section consists of a definition along with four candidate words, of which only one is correct. The answers section gives the correct answer and shows that word in an example sentence. It

Written by the editors of the American Heritage dictionaries, this book will encourage students and parents alike to energize their word power. The book has two parts—a challenge section and an answers section. Each question in the challenge section consists of a definition along with four candidate words, of which only one is correct. The answers section gives the correct answer and shows that word in an example sentence. It

Specially designed to meet the needs of ESL students, this dictionary is a necessity for anyone seeking to learn and use American English effectively. Its many distinctive features include clear and precise definitions adapted from the acclaimed American Heritages Dictionary; extensive vocabulary; abundant idioms and example sentences; word building notes and usage notes; and much more.

The newly updated American Heritage High School Dictionary, Fourth Edition, offers the distinctive qualities that characterize the American Heritage line without including obscene words or offensive slurs. The dictionary features a modern, readable defining style, helpful guidance on English usage, and more than 2,500 photographs and drawings that enhance definitions and invite browsing.

The American Heritage Science Dictionary, with 8,500 clearly written and up-to-date entries, provides quick and easy access to the vocabulary of science.

Stedman's Medical Dictionary defines medical and scientific terms for lay readers as well as for those working in health- and medicine-related fields, law, and the insurance industry. The dictionary lists current and topical terms, such as "Zoloft" and "acupressure," and has biographical entries for about 300 pioneering scientists.

The American Heritage Student Dictionary contains the most current and comprehensive vocabulary for students in grades 6 through 9. More than 65,000 entries are enhanced by 2,000 photographs and illustrations. New computer and Internet terms make this trusted reference work more relevant than ever. The extensive program of biographical and geographical entries has been revised and supplemented in view of the latest cultural and political developments.

The American Heritage Student Science Dictionary covers a wide variety of fields, including chemistry, physics, biology, geology, meteorology, astronomy, ecology, and zoology. Its definitions are written in a clear and straightforward style that even beginning students can follow. The dictionary includes more than 4,500 entry words with clear, easy-to-understand definitions; more than 425 full-color photographs and drawings; and more.

This reference contains more than 6,000 synonyms that have been carefully chosen for their usefulness to students of English. Every synonym has a short, clear definition that helps distinguish it from other synonyms in its group; every synonym has its own example sentence that shows proper usage and clarifies shades of meaning.

Intended to provide guidance for all aspects of writing, this volume claims to "offer you something that would not only help you achieve accurate, clear, and brief informational writing, but that would also assist you in your creative work, whether fact or fiction." LaRocque's advice is sane and sound: avoid pretension and over-complication, and stay away from jargon and clichés. Beginning writers should find clear, useful advice here.

The Copyeditor's Handbook is a lively, practical manual for newcomers to publishing and for experienced editors who want to fine-tune their skills or broaden their understanding of the craft. Addressed to copyeditors in book publishing and corporate communications, this thoughtful handbook explains what copyeditors do, what they look for when they edit a manuscript, and how they develop the editorial judgment needed to make sound decisions.

Condition: Good. Hardcover. Published in 1989.

Authored by one of the country’s leading curmudgeons, The Dictionary of Disagreeable English Deluxe Edition offers 50 percent more content than the popular original. In this edition, Fiske has added more language blunders, additional witty commentary, and a new feature that includes frequently asked language questions, and their answers. Fiske also rails against "laxicographers and ding-a-linguists" who, with their misguided thinking, actually promote the dissolution of the English language.

Sometimes it seems that there are as many collections of archaic words as there are archaic words. Most of them are amusing in their own esoteric sort of way, but few aim for more than entertainment value. David Grambs would like his readers to think of his Endangered English Dictionary as "a constant reminder of the words that could have been, that fell through the cracks."

In this fascinating book, Robert Burchfield, editor of the four-volume Supplement to the Oxford English Dictionary, expertly stresses both the resilience and flexibility of the English language, tracing its history from the 5th century AD to the present day.

Condition: Excellent. Hardcover. 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?

Condition: Good. An indispensable reference to the most common Jewish words and terms in use today. The entries include words for and associated with Jewish holidays and lifecycle events, culture, history, the Bible and other sacred texts, Jewish worship, and more. Each entry has a pronunciation guide and is cross-referenced to other related terms. The introduction serves as an excellent primer on the history of Jewish words, their transliteration, and pronunciation.

Robin Lakoff gets to the heart of one of the most fascinating and pressing issues in American society today: who holds power and how they use it, keep it, or lose it. In a brilliant and vastly entertaining discussion, Lakoff shows that the struggle for power and status at the end of the century is being played out as a war over language. Controlling language is a basis for all power, she says, and therefore it is worth fighting for.

Condition: Excellent. Hardcover. -- In this book, Mitchell has gathered a sparking collection of the best pieces from The Underground Grammarian. He levels his shaft at the illogical, the faddish, and the foolish.

The Novel Writer’s Tool Kit shows you how to: * Develop salable ideas; * Turn ideas into stories; * Set a writing schedule and stick to it; * Conduct accurate research; * Dissect best-sellers in order to discover what makes them work; * Develop compelling characters and plot; * Write dialogue that sounds real and engaging; * Find an agent or an editor who will help publish your work; * Put their ideas into story form; * Understand the submission and publishing process; * Promote their work.

The Oxford American College Dictionary is completely new. Drawing on Oxford's unparalleled language resources, this college dictionary contains more than 175,000 entries and more than 1000 illustrations; boxed quotes from famous writers, demonstrating word usage and style; country guides, shaded boxes highlighting the most important geographical information on more than 180 countries; and much more.

Condition: Excellent. Hardcover. More than 5,000 definitions of idioms with 350 new idioms and "hundreds of new origin notes." The dictionary has been redesigned and visually improved with a two-column format interspersed with boxes that provide origin of the idioms. The idioms are arranged by keyword with a concise definition and sometimes the origin and an illustrative quotation.

Adam Freedman, who writes the Legal Lingo column for the New York Law Journal, offers a cornucopia of hilarious, offbeat, and downright bizarre examples of simple concepts contorted into words that defy understanding, often retaining centuries-old lingo like Further affiant sayeth naught (which means: this is the end of the affidavit). Freedman is as much reformer as humorist, and he ably demonstrates that legal documents can be written in understandable prose.

Mark Abley takes the reader on a global journey like no other—from Singapore to Tokyo, from Oxford to Los Angeles, through the Internet and back in time. As much a travel book as a tour of words at play, The Prodigal Tongue goes beyond grammar and vocabulary to discover how language is irrevocably changing the people of the world in far-reaching ways.

Cataloguing the hilarious ways in which people mangle the English language, Lederer offers hundreds of new linguistic blunders, from infamous "Bushisms" to poorly worded newspaper headlines. Complete with ridiculously obvious product warnings, church bulletin bloopers and celebrities caught saying the wrong things, this book celebrates the English language by allowing readers to laugh at others' amusing mistakes.

The Sexual Guide to Written Intercourse, Fulfilling Grammar, and Seductive Usage has nothing to do with sex and everything to do with how to become a better writer. The contents are a treasure trove of advice and insight that will help any aspiring writer avoid the many pitfalls that await as they traverse the literary landscape.

A powerful and sophisticated reminder that words can indeed do as much damage as sticks and stones, The Skin That We Speak takes the discussion of language in the classroom beyond the highly charged war of idioms -- in which "English only" really means standard English only -- and presents today's teachers with a thoughtful exploration of the varieties of English we speak and the layers of politics, power, and identity those varieties carry.

Condition: Excellent. Hardcover. Are you an Anglophile? (Stout fellow!) Just stand at this springboard and leave the fields of popinjay jabber and tongue-stumped battology behind forever! Stop up for big dividends in the giddy heights of superior speech. Peter Bowler will teach you the practical riches of saying it well with good words, neglected words, and precise words for vocabular exultation!

Peter Bowler cuts a swath through the thickets of popular jargon, casting daylight on such linguistic deformities as "interrogate with prejudice" (that is, torture) and "unforeseen geological event" (a mining disaster). Impatient with euphemism, he examines ugly specimens forced into bloom in the interests of political correctness "waitperson," "developmentally challenged" designed to help the squeamish avoid direct confrontation with the simple facts of sex and disability.

"The Synonym Finder" is a thesaurus in dictionary form. There are no word definitions or pronunciation guides. Words are listed alphabetically, as they would be in a dictionary, and an exhaustive list of synonyms is given for each definition of every word.

The UFOs of October, an often picaresque account of, among many, his adventures chasing UFOs in Central America for the National Enquirer and caretaking 60 head of cattle in West Virginia. Told with humor and pathos, the five poem cycles comprising UFOs each employ autobiography and fiction, prose and drama, and are related by psyche, style, tone—and narrative speed.

Under the circumstances, in my personal view, notwithstanding my pre-determined predilection to pretty good writing, if I do say so myself, this tome can be construed, one surmises, to be a useful, even quite altogether necessary publication (or "how-to" book) for some kinds of people who might want to pursue a serious (or even an amateur and recreational) actual writing career. I actually found myself learning a thing or two, much to my amazing incredulity and surprise.

Cliches. Once they were so original, so fresh. Now, everybody uses them, and if your work depends on lively prose, they're a problem. This book is the solution. Fiske takes you on a tour of the world of "dimwitticisms"; moribund metaphors, torpid terms and wretched redundancies that have all the impact of foam-rubber cannonballs. Fiske's comprehensive thesaurus lists hundreds of problem phrases along with witty commentary and useful synonyms.

Vocabula Bound 1 is a collection of twenty-five extraordinary essays about the English language, as well as twenty-six poems, that originally appeared in The Vocabula Review. The essays range in topic from the importance of teaching poetry to the “secret nature” of nicknames to how linguistics killed grammar.

The second volume of Vocabula Bound is a collection of twenty-eight essays about the English language, as well as ten poems, that originally appeared in The Vocabula Review. The essays range in topic from the end of linguistics to the meaning of the term arabber to how bad writing kills.

Vocabula Bound Quarterly, Vol. 1, No. 1, includes the contents of the January through March 2005 online Vocabula Review. VBQ was discontinued in March 2006. This first volume may become collectible.

15 oz., dark blue with red lettering: The Vocabula Review -- www.vocabula.com.

Condition: Good. Hardcover.

Are you so sure about "assure," "ensure," and "insure" ? Can you determine whether a knob of butter is equivalent to a lump or a pat or a scosh? Can you say which word in the English language has the most definitions, or who put the H in Jesus H. Christ? If you can't, be assured that Charles Harrington Elster can and does in his latest book, a delightfully designed compendium of the most common, interesting, and entertaining conundrums in our language.

This chapbook of 20 poems was selected for the Providence Athenaeum's 2002 Philbrick Poetry Award. Its settings are urban, suburban, and rural; its voices, earnest and ironic; its modes, lyric and narrative. Of What We Planted, Stanley Moss said, “Laura Cherry has a fine rural pen; her poetry works for a living. Every line is emotionally earned, carefully worked. Cherry's poetry makes something out of herself.”

Like the English language, Woe Is I has grown and changed. Here's the latest and greatest on the basics and subtleties of the language from America's beloved grammar guru Patricia T. O'Conner. She's renovated her classic, using plain English to untangle the knottiest of problems, skipping the kind of jargon that tempted you to cut your high school English class.

Words define us, our actions, even our existence. And just when you think that you have all the words you need, you discover new ones, hear new uses for old ones or see them mutate right before your eyes—a neologism is born. Word Spy is an exciting and informative travelogue through the evolving landscape of our language and, consequently, the cultures and subcultures that continually mold and shape not just the language but all of us who speak it.

Condition: Excellent. Human languages are capable of expressing a literally endless number of different ideas. How do we manage it--so effortlessly that we scarcely ever stop to think about it? In Words and Rules: The Ingredients of Language, a look at the simple concepts that we use to devise works as complex as love sonnets and tax laws, renowned neuroscientist and linguist Steven Pinker shows us how.

With hundreds of classical and contemporary poems, quotes, quips, and blessings to choose from, no one involved in the wedding celebration will be at a loss for words. And, unlike other guides, Words for the Wedding takes readers beyond vows and explains (with examples) not only how to make a great toast but how to use quotes inventively for pre-wedding parties, invitations, receptions, and more! A must-have guide for anyone involved with a wedding.