When Is a Pig a Hog?: A Guide to Confoundingly Related English Words

Randall, Bernice

ISBN 10: 0883659778 / ISBN 13: 9780883659779

Published by Galahad Books, New York, 1997

About this Item

328 Pages Indexed. First Galahad Books Edition of a 1991 copyright. Two line gift inscription in ink on front endpaper. No other defects noted this otherwise As New used book. An invaluable reference work for everyone who cares about using language precisely and a treasure-trove for anyone who is fascinated by the variations and subtleties of the English language. English is full of terms that have closely related meanings, and all of us, even educated native-born speakers, are sometimes uncertain about the right word for a given situation. Our uneasiness may spring from a desire not to offend: Is it more polite, for example, to call a person of Navajo or Mohawk ancestry an Indian or a Native American? Or we may fear to seem ignorant if we overlook a distinction our audience knows about: Is tone poem interchangeable with symphonic poem, or income statement with profit-and loss statement? Sometimes, even when there's no risk of serious error, we are stymied by an intuitive sense that, in a given context, one term is more appropriate than another, but we're not sure which, to choose. Or we may simply feel that our understanding of a conversation qr something we've read would be greater if we knew for certain whether, for example, a normal school is always a teacher's college. This delightful work puts an end to such confusion by providing easy access to thousands of related words. It is organized into eight main sections that cover people, places, things, ideas, activities, nature, science, and more. Within each section, entries are arranged by subtopic. Here and There, for example, begins with terms referring to the world at large, such as nation, state, and country, before discussing how Middle East and Near East are related. And instead of adhering to-strict alphabetical order, the entries follow a natural progression, to invite browsing. Yet readers who want to locate a given term quickly need only refer to the comprehensive index for the appropriate page. Add to all this two appendixes -- Gods and Goddesses in Greek and Roman Mythology and Geologic Time Chart and you have a reference that is a rich and varied source of information and entertainment as well as a starting point for a deeper appreciation and broader command of our fascinating language.

Seller Inventory # 11270

Bibliographic Details

• Title: When Is a Pig a Hog?: A Guide to Confoundingly Related English Words
• Publisher: Galahad Books, New York
• Publication Date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0883659778
• ISBN 13: 9780883659779
• Binding: Hard Back
• Edition: Assumed First Edtion
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Near Fine

About this title

Synopsis

A handbook to closely-related English terms covers human and not-so-human beings, places, things, concepts, the arts, nature, and science