Overview

Highlighting the cream of the crop in the English language, this zany compilation showcases more than 200 exceptional words. Underscoring select terms for their definitions, pronunciations, or both, this exploration resurrects a medley of overlooked examples while also providing instances of their uses in contemporary speech. Rather than presenting an array of obscure words that are too impractical for everyday use, this consideration includes choice expressions that can actually be used in speaking and writing. Concluding with 150 challenging quiz questions to test comprehension, this miscellany also features sidebars with further explanation, derivations, and literary asides, making it ideal for students, writers, grammarians, and word lovers alike.

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9781933338828

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Fiske's The Best Words contains delightfully expressive words that are as useful as they are colorful; the choice of words,the illustrative sentences,and the pronunciation guide are nothing less than superb. --Rod L. Evans, author, Thingamajigs and Whatchamacallits If you're a lover of words, you'll enjoy this entertaining, illuminating book. And if you're a writer, you'll enrich your work with the evocative, unique words you'll learn here. --Kelly James-Enger, author, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks When I require the choice vocable, the tastiest morsel of verbal victuals, done not medium but rare, I make my way to Fiske's table and am always delighted. Robert Hartwell Fiske is America's master finder of the apt word. --Bill Casselman, author, Where a Dobdob Meets a Dikdik The Best Words is the Dean & Deluca of the word-loving gourmand, full of words rich in history and meaning--and uncommon enough to win over even longtime logophiles. Those with a craving for superlative words will find this an uberous source. The Best Words will definitely be on my best-of-the-word-books bookshelf. --Mim Harrison, author, Smart Words and Wicked Good Words Many previous books have introduced readers to words they might not have known before. Robert Hartwell Fiske's new entry has the advantage of displaying its words in flattering contexts, showing how good writers--and sometimes great ones--have put them to real use. The result is fun and instructive. --Ward Farnsworth, author, Farnsworth's Classical English Rhetoric

If you're a lover of words, you'll enjoy this entertaining, illuminating book. And if you're a writer, you'll enrich your work with the evocative, unique words you'll learn here. --Kelly James-Enger, author, Goodbye Byline, Hello Big Bucks

Author Information

Robert Hartwell Fiske is the editor and publisher of The Vocabula Review, a journal about the English language, and the author of The Dictionary of Concise Writing. He lives in Rockport, Massachusetts.

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