500 Words You Should Know - Softcover

Taggart, Caroline

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0228101069 ISBN 13: 9780228101062

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2018

Synopsis

A book to inspire logophiles and the rest of us to use uncommon words in their correct context.

Perhaps you have wanted to ameliorate your atavistic lexicon, engage in a little intellectual badinage or you have been discombobulated by tricky diction? 500 Words You Should Know has you covered. This book will inspire the reader to use uncommon words in their correct context, utilize the English language to its full potential and test themselves on the words they think they already know.

It is a book for the appreciator of correct usage and contains words you thought you knew (decimate, caveat, nemesis), words you should know (euphemism, diatribe, tautology) and just a few that you might want to know (peripatetic, shibboleth, callipygian).

This essential cornucopia of 500 of the best, trickiest and oft-misused words in the English language are arranged thematically. Each word is dissected, with a laconic gloss of etymology and historical and modern usage, to give a full understanding and effectively adopt the word into vocabulary in its proper context.

1. Terms of Endearment, Respect and Admiration - it's easy to confuse complement and compliment

2. Terms of Abuse, Criticism and Mild Contempt - the Xbox player had an etoliated look about him

3. It Depends on My Mood - a frat house is likely to be rabelaisian at least some of the time

4. Let's Give It Some Thought - it's best to be discrete when talking about disparate opinions

5. The Rough with the Smooth - celebrity culture feeds on schadenfreude

6. Heaven, Hell and the Bits in Between - weekends are for peregrinations around the mall

7. Science and the Arts - some readers of this book may be guilty of elision.

Readers interested in everything that eclectic English has to offer, who wish to celebrate its majesty and depth and to ensure that they always use the language pedantically, this veracious cornucopia of knowledge will have them confabulating with the literary cognoscenti in no time.

About this title

About the Author:

Caroline Taggart worked in publishing as an editor of popular nonfiction for 30 years. She is the author of I Used to Know That, which became a Sunday Times bestseller and the co-author of more books which include My Grammar and I (or should that be "me"?). She has appeared frequently on television and on national and regional radio in the UK, talking about language, grammar and Pythagoras's theorem. Her website is carolinetaggart.co.uk and you can follow her on Twitter @citaggart.

Review:

[review of UK edition] Taggart manages an incredibly fine line of not giving too many outlandish words which will never be of any use nor throwing up too many we already know and use all the time. Of course, this will change from person to person but my feeling is that the words she's chosen are probably about right for each reader... The icing on the cake is the humour which comes with all this... It's all good-natured, informative, jolly kind of stuff; and as a result Taggart gets the balance right. So, whether you want to improve your word power, or you're just intrigued by words which are slightly more complex than our everyday Anglo-Saxon-based lexicon, or you just want something light yet intelligent to dip into -- '500 Words You Should Know' is a damned good contender for the spot. (D K Powell Write Out Loud Blog 2018-07-02)

[review of UK edition] This is a fantastic tabletop book that can be picked up at any time... Here is the chance to improve your vocabulary and use uncommon, familiar, or even just vaguely familiar, words in the right way and in the correct context. From words you sort of know, but aren't confident enough to use, to weird and wonderful words you haven't a clue about! Word doctor Taggart prescribes 500 of the trickiest, most misused words in the English language... This is a magical box of linguistic tricks. And great fun to boot. Definitely one you will enjoy. (South Dublin Reads Blog 2016-12-15)

[review of UK edition] A must for logophiles (lovers of words). (Valerie Australian Writers' Centre Book Club Blog 2016-05-01)

Recommended Reading List. (West Jet Magazine 2018-11-23)

Will inspire readers and writers to use uncommon words in their correct context, to utilize the English language to its full potential, and to test themselves on the words they think they already know... Arranged thematically, each word is dissected, with a brief explanation of etymology, historical, and modern usage, allows the full understanding and effectively employment of the word in its proper context... An ideal, entertaining, and useful read for bibliophiles, writers, and the general reading public... Highly recommended for community, college, and university library collections. (Midwest Book Review 2018-10-01)

For wordsmiths and English language buffs interested in both usage and building vocabulary, featuring words that may seem familiar but which are popularly misused or misunderstood. Some 500 of tricky, most-often-misused words are arranged thematically, with discussion including their history, etymology, and modern applications... A fun gift for authors and any who regularly use the English language beyond ordinary daily affairs. (Diane Donovan Donovan's Literary Services 2018-10-01)

This isn't a compendium of overly obscure and bizarre terms; rather, it is a conversational volume of terms that readers will likely be aware of but might have forgotten, or ones that they're not entirely comfortable using. Taggart covers misconceptions, connotations, a bit of etymology, and more. (Mahnaz Dar Library Journal 2018-11-01)

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 0228101069
• ISBN 13: 9780228101062
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 208
• Illustrator: Walker George