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Troublesome Words (Hardcover)

by Bill Bryson (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)

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Paperback (3rd Revised edition) £8.99 £6.69 33 used & new from £3.43

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Product details

  • Hardcover: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Viking; 3rd Revised edition edition (1 Nov 2001)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 0670899224
  • ISBN-13: 978-0670899227
  • Product Dimensions: 24.2 x 16.2 x 2.7 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 542,881 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in this category:

    #92 in  Books > Languages > Grammar, dictionaries & phrasebooks > Dictionaries

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  • See Complete Table of Contents

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
It is nearly 20 years since Bill Bryson first penned his deliciously witty paean to precision Troublesome Words. Now he has revised it and 60 per cent of the content is new so it's well worth another browse and a place on the desk corner of anyone who likes words and who wants to get things right.

Once a sub-editor at The Times, Bryson is irresistibly drawn to knowing that "to flaunt" means to display ostentatiously but "to flout" means to treat with contempt. Or that a straitjacket may be straight but its name means that its occupant is confined and restricted--in straitened circumstances, perhaps. And can you explain the difference between a Creole and a Pidgin or between egoism and egotism? If not consult Bryson. Then you'll be able to. There's no pedantry or pomposity in Bryson's writing. But he argues: "Just as we all agree that clarity is better served if 'cup' represents a drinking vessel and 'cap' something you put on your head, so too I think the world is a fractionally better place if we agree to preserve a distinction between 'its' and 'it's', between 'I lay down the law' and 'I lie down to sleep', between 'imply' and 'infer' and countless others."

Bryson modestly jokes that this alphabetically arranged book could be subtitled "Even More Things in English Usage That the Author Wasn't Entirely Clear about Until Quite Recently". If only most of us were sure about a fraction of the things Bryson clearly understands very well we might all be more effective writers and speakers. --Susan Elkin

Product Description
This dictionary provides a straightforward guide to the pitfalls and hotly disputed issues in written English. The entries are discussed with wit and common sense, and illustrated with examples of questionable usage taken from leading British and American newspapers, plus occasional references to masters of the language such as Samuel Johnson and Shakespeare. No familiarity with English grammar is needed to learn from this book, although a glossary of grammatical terms is included and there is also an appendix on punctuation.

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Customer Reviews

13 Reviews
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2 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (13 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
71 of 72 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for the layperson., 10 Jan 2004
This review is from: Troublesome Words (Paperback)
I found this book very approachable and would recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about the English language but doesn't have the time or inclination to plough through the more traditional style of language book.
It is organised alphabetically making it easy to dip into but is also fine to read straight through.

Examples are provided of the wrong way of doing things as well as the correct way which makes it easier to remember.
There are lots of examples of bad grammar taken from National newspapers to show you that even the professionals don't get it right. This gives the book a less formal approach, than say Fowler, and doesn't make you feel inferior just because you didn't know what a dangling modifier was.

Bill Bryson has selected a good range with examples of confusing spellings, punctuation, and grammar that will serve as an excellent starting point for anyone who wishes to take certain sections further.

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39 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars indispensable, 19 Jun 2003
This review is from: Troublesome Words (Paperback)
As an aspiring english student, I was bought this book as a stocking filler last christmas and have found it indispensable. Both useful and entertaining this book used all the time when I am writing. It has vastly increased my vocabulary and even some of my spelling as well as now being able tell someone the defference between egoism and egotism or the defference between an optometrist and an optician.

Very useful if you are remotely interested in the english language.

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47 of 51 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A great guide to the English language without being stuffy, 27 Jun 2000
This review is from: TROUBLESOME WORDS (Paperback)
This book is an excellent introduction to English grammar. It's easy to dip in and out of, yet its breezy style means it can be read in one sitting. A much easier way to get to grips with grammar, than a tome like Fowler, which you need a degree in linguistics to decipher. As a working sub-editor, I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to sharpen up their writing.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Troublesome Words
This would make an interesting, informative and entertaining addition to anybody's book collection. It is not a book you would read from cover to cover but more a book you would... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Olive Green

2.0 out of 5 stars Obsolete
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words may have been useful twenty-five years ago, when it was first published, but it has become redundant. Read more
Published 10 months ago by reader 451

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful and masterly
Do you put 'spoonsful' or 'spoonfuls' of sugar into tea? Do you know the difference between defining and non-defining clauses and between 'androgynous' and 'androgenous'? Read more
Published 16 months ago by Jon Chambers

4.0 out of 5 stars Trouble Averted
"The idea that you cannot use the word 'and' to begin a sentence is entirely without foundation. And that's all there is to it. Read more
Published on 1 Aug 2006 by Samuel Whitwell

4.0 out of 5 stars Different Bryson
To me, a new Bryson makes the whole difference at any airport. Exactly the kind of books I need to keep me from dying of boredom - and they are usually a potent medicine! Read more
Published on 15 Jul 2004 by Mats Nilson

4.0 out of 5 stars Thorough Read
Bill certainly summarises well and makes a difficult subject interesting. Unlike a fellow reviewer I would like to compliment Bill rather than complement him!!!
Published on 15 Jun 2004 by J. Colville

4.0 out of 5 stars Worth having
I guess the best complement i can give to this book is that once you have it, you'll be lost without it. Read more
Published on 15 Aug 2003 by Iain Black

4.0 out of 5 stars useful guide for every serious student of english language
I found this book very useful for all serious english learners. It is realy concise and definitive guide to the most commonly encountered problems of English spelling and usage... Read more
Published on 21 Nov 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars a must have for every bookshelf
this superb book gives the reader a great understanding of those troublesome words, written in an easy to understand format. Great for being a geek at the dinner table!
Published on 29 Jan 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars Best English usage guide I've read
This is the best guide to English usage I've read - and I've read several. I recommend it without hesitation. Read more
Published on 21 Jun 2000

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