The Dictionary of Difficult Words

by John Ayto

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Genres: Reference, Linguistics

292 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1993

Reviews

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a 1996 edition of this, published as the QPB (Quality Paperback Bookclub) Dictionary of Difficult Words. It is available online at this site -

http://www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/di...

breadth of coverage: 4
ease of use: 4
scholarship: 4
charm: 3
total = 15

Comments: Good succinct definitions; sometimes too succinct. For instance, we are told that 'banzai' is a Japanese warcry, but not that it means 'may you live 10,000 years' (from ban "ten thousand" + sai "year.") A definition of 'baculus' as a rod or staff is included, but we are not told that 'baculum' means 'penis bone'. Pronunciation guide requires knowledge of the IPA, which is included at the beginning of the book, but not on each page, as is done in some dictionaries. A strong point is the inclusion of several essays on specific topics such as words which are commonly confused, the top 100 misspelled words, differences between British and U.S. spelling and pronunciation, basics of punctuation and grammar, and common usage questions. In general, these essays appear sensible and likely to be genuinely helpful.

A solid four stars.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding. The best set of atypical, underused, and expressive words that I've seen yet. Ayto has chosen terms that challenge college graduates yet are not meaningful only to a small group of experts. Some are overspecific, as in medicine or science, but laudably few. Many others are obsolescent, having been supplanted by less precise modern alternatives. These are the gems, since subtle flavors of nuance tend to fade from popular use as language evolves, esp. via the repetitive promotion of clumsy catchphrases spread by modern media.

This book is also known by other names, so search for "Difficult Words" and "Ayto".