Reference / Word Lists

Favorite Words of Famous People: A Celebration of Superior Words from Writers, Educators, Scientists, and Humorists

by Lewis Burke Burke Frumkes

The favorite words of 250 of the best and brightest contemporary thinkers and creators are collected in this volume that no self-respecting word lover should be without. From Secretary of State Hillary Clinton...

Opening Pandora's Box: Phrases Borrowed from the Classics and the Stories Behind Them

by Ferdie Addis

Are you known to strike like a thunderbolt when things don't go your way?

Are you fortunate enough to have the Midas touch?

Have you ever been struck by Cupid's arrow?

Classically derived expressions are commonly...

A Million Words And Counting: How Global English Is Rewriting The World

by Paul J. Payack

From Babel to Babble . . . Everyone is Speaking English

In 2007, the English language passed the million-word mark. That shouldn't come as a surprise since over a billion Earthlings speak English (no one knows...

Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with commentary on lexicographers

by Robert Hartwell Fiske

Robert Hartwell Fiske aims to eliminate laxity in language today by way of this witty and engaging reference.

Fiske rails against "laxicographers and ding-a-linguists" who, with their misguided thinking, actually...

Gobbledygook

by William Wilson

Which are the two real words? And which one is fake? In this book, the reader will find hundreds of obscure, outdated, and outrageous words. But beware! Because of each three words and definitions on a given...

There's a Word for It: The Explosion of the American Language Since 1900

by Sol Steinmetz

Word geeks (1984), rejoice! Crack open these covers and immerse yourself in a mind-expanding (1963) compendium of the new words (or new meanings of words) that have sprung from American life to ignite the most...

Casual Lex

by Webb Garrison

So often we use words or phrases that, while we know what they mean, we don't know how they came into being. The story behind the word is often surprising and always interesting.

People's fascination with language...

The Chicktionary

by Anna Lefler

Most ladies know the definitions of "low lights," "ruching," and a "tankini." But do they know an "Efron" when they see one? With the Chicktionary, readers will know just what to do and what to expect when faced...

The Pirate Primer: Mastering the Language of Swashbucklers and Rogues

by George Choundas

Ebbry-blastin'-theng ye needs must know-oo to lay tongue liker aargh-thentic pirate, by the devil's twisted tail.

Take a tour through the world of piracy with the only authoritative work on the pirate language....

Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives

by Arthur Plotnik

A veritable "tko of terminology," Better Than Great is the essential guide for describing the extraordinary — the must have reference for anyone wishing to rise above tired superlatives.

Deft praise encourages...