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When I got home from work Friday the box with my new Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus was on my porch. Ooh, it was heavy! I ripped open the box and was delighted to find a big, beautiful hardcover book. I was expecting a paperback so happiness right from the start.
Not until Saturday afternoon was I able to sit down with my new treasure. When I say treasure I really mean it because this is not your mass market collegiate Roget’s piece of poo. I can say that because I used to have one of them. I got it in high school to help me through those five paragraph English class essays in which it is very important to impress the teacher with your giant vocabulary. At least from a student perspective. No doubt high school English teachers shed many a tear over the failed attempts at verbal acrobatics their students insist on perpetrating. That is probably why my freshman teacher made us read Strunk and White’s Elements of Style. If only we actually paid attention.
I took Roget’s off to college with me. I must have used it through the years. A lot. By the time I sent it to the great recycling bin in the sky a few years ago, the pages were thoroughly foxed, the cover creased and worn, and the spine cracked. I used it because there was no alternative when searching for the perfect word. When the magic internet came along Roget sat collecting dust. But Google isn’t any better than Roget really, just more convenient and less dusty.
So why would I want a brand new thesaurus? I didn’t until I read Michael Dirda singing the praises of the Oxford American in an essay in his book Browsings. Now that I have had a chance to look the book over I wonder if I can make you want one too?
I said the book is beautiful, right? A lovely blue and white jacket on the outside. On the inside an easily readable font in a size many times above microscopic. In fact, if the book weren’t so heavy I could hold it up just far enough away that I can read it without my glasses on. These eyes are over forty and I must say it was the freakiest thing when my optometrist told me at thirty-nine that my eyes will likely begin needing a little extra help at forty. Pshaw! I snorted. Then a year later I was back in her chair telling her the letters in my books were looking a little fuzzy. At first I tried to pass it off as power of suggestion but I couldn’t make that last very long. The paper is bright white but not glaring and the thickness is just right – not so thin you are terrified of ripping the pages as you turn them but not so thick that they aren’t flexible and easy to thumb through.
While the book is a pleasure, it is what’s inside that really counts: Rabbit hole. You know how when you have a really good dictionary like the OED or American Heritage and you can get lost for hours just looking up words, leaping from one entry to another? Tell me this happens to you too and I am not out all alone in left field here. This thesaurus is just like that. Words leading to more words.
Each entry tells you the part of speech, uses the word in context and suggests antonyms. There are also little “more information” boxes for words that cause grammar nightmares like backward/backwards. There are also little boxes that offer helpful suggestions, providing a “word link” or “choose the right word” or the best ones, “reflection.” The reflection is a little tiny thought about the word by one of a number of writers like Zadie Smith, Lydia Davis and the dastardly Michael Dirda who made me buy this magnificent book. There are also quotes sprinkled throughout and word clouds sometimes appear to provide a visual representation of frequently associated words that might go with that adjective you just looked up.
In the middle of the book appears a section called “Word Finder.” The pages are bordered in light gray so you can easily open to this section when you pick up the book. Here you will find thematic lists in case you want to know what all the chemical elements and their symbols are. Or lists of dog breeds or different types of restaurants or cheeses. There is also a list of words considered archaic (darbies = handcuffs), “literary” words (clarion, slay, visage), and common Latin phrases.
There are more gray-edged pages at the back of the book. These are dedicated to basic grammar, spelling and punctuation. Nothing elaborate, just the basics in case you need help with your dangling participle or whether you need a comma there.
This is a thesaurus intended for writers after all. But it also serves word-lovers well. It would be especially marvy when paired with a good dictionary so they could talk to each other. This baby will be talking with my American Heritage. They will be canoodling on my desk together. I expect they will get along well. Sorry Google.
It isn’t too late to add this to your list for Santa or find a copy for your favorite word nerd. Almost guaranteed to be love at first sight.
This reminds me of my English teacher at high school (I have also got forty year old eyes by the way … with glasses on) – she largely skipped teaching us the curriculum so that we could learn new words and their origins. I loved her. I love words too. Perhaps I shall make this a Christmas book wish. Thank you for your lovely article.
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Jennifer, thanks! What a fun year of English class that must have been! If you get the book, I hope you like it!
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You really do have a way with words, I love your blog today! Many happy years with the new addition to your library!
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Nancy, thank you, you are very kind!
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Whoa, Nellie! It’s on my list! thanks.
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booksandbuttons, you bet! Have fun!
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My Rogets is still working good…will hang on to buying this for a while, though I am SORELY tempted!
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cirtnecce, well, if you are happy with Roget’s, but if you ever want an upgrade… 😉
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I think it’s so funny that an essay could make you covet a thesaurus like that. Here I am considering divesting myself of various reference books, because: Internet. But you make me reconsider…
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Isabella, I know! I was so surprised after the essay how badly I wanted this thesaurus. I’ve gotten rid of most of my reference books too because of the internet but there is something to be said for the satisfactions of a big, beautiful printed book 🙂
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Tempted tempted if there’s a British version, but I still have my Roget’s too…
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Helen, I wonder if Oxford’s has a British version? One would think so. But if Roget’s works for you 🙂
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Makes me want one!
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Helen, It’s only around $20, a great bargain! 😀
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For goodness’ sake– I wasn’t even aware of the thesaurus hierarchy! Threw out my Roget’s a couple of years ago because it looked so sad and worn, and I use the computer when I need a good synonym. Now, I have thesaurus envy.
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jenclair, I know, right? That’s what Dirda did to me! And I am glad because this really is a lovely book and very reasonably priced too!
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Yipee! I was waiting to hear what you had to say before I took the plunge and spent one of my two BN gift cards. My fingers were so itching yesterday…but I told myself, “No, wait until Stefanie gives the all clear.” So now, right NOW, I’m going to order it as a Christmas present to little old me. I just love hanging around with book folks!
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Grad, yay! I hope you like the book and it turns out to be worth the gift card! Merry Christmas 😉
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You are such a marvelous and wondrous nerd. This is what I cherish about book bloggers. I am not such a thesaurus guy, but I’m about Bartlett’s all day every day. My grandmother got me a Bartlett’s when I was in high school, and I consult it constantly. My high school graduation dictionary also.
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Its getting rarer to find a beautiful reference book like this so congratulations! I hope it is not one of those books that are almost too beautiful to be used!
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Ian, they definitely are which is too bad. More than anything I think the internet has killed the reference book. There is much to be said for using the internet for reference but sometimes there’s nothing like a good book!
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Jenny, why thank you 🙂 I am quite envious of your Bartlett’s! Sure it is all online now but do I ever miss the book that you could open randomly! When I was in college I knew exactly where the Bartlett’s was on the reference shelves and would visit often just for a browse.
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Great post.
I have actually been looking through some lesser Thesaurus’s lately and still enjoying the discovery of new words and relationships between the words.
Your post has motivated me to obtain a really good Thesaurus. I am seriously thinking of getting this one.
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Brian Joseph, you know, always just have that Roget’s collegiate I never realized there were higher quality ones to be had. Finally having one of my own turns out to be delightful! If you are in the market for a beautiful yet good and practical thesaurus, I think you’ll find this one is quite suitable.
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What a nice pre-holiday treat! I will have to keep this in mind if I (fingers crossed) am given a nice book gift card! I use an online thesaurus all the time, but it would be nice to have something like this!
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Danielle, I hope you get lots of nice gift cards! 🙂 Online is convenient but but this book is a pleasure.
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You mentioned this recently didn’t you … Does sound wonderful, but at a couple of decades past you I’ve decided I’m downsizing reference books not buying more. I MUST get rid of stuff. I know, I know, this one isn’t just stuff but s wonderful book but … You’ll just have to share the odd entry with us every now and then.
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whisperinggums, I did mention it recently. I got rid of most of my reference books a year or two ago and haven’t missed them at all but this one just seemed like a must have. I will try to remember to share an odd entry now and then 🙂
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Sounds completely splendid. I wonder if there is an English version? We have two Rogets in our marriage (as it were) and whilst they are okay, they could definitely be better. A thesaurus is more useful than a dictionary, I think, so I am all for finding the perfect one!
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Litlove, it’s interesting that a number of the writers who provide reflections are British so I wonder just how American the book is? A thesaurus is more useful in many ways than a dictionary, I agree. Now I have a good one of each I am one happy girl 🙂
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