Bryson's Dictionary Of Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
One of the English language's most skilled and beloved writers guides us all toward precise, mistake-free usage.As usual Bill Bryson says it best: "English is a dazzlingly idiosyncratic tongue, full of quirks and irregularities that often seem willfully at odds with logic and common sense. This is a language where 'cleave' can mean to cut in half or to hold two halves together; where the simple word 'set' has 126 different meanings as a verb, 58 as a noun, and 10 as a participial adjective; where if you can run fast you are moving swiftly, but if you are stuck fast you are not moving at all; [and] where 'colonel,' 'freight,' 'once,' and 'ache' are strikingly at odds with their spellings." As a copy editor for the London Times in the early 1980s, Bill Bryson felt keenly the lack of an easy-to-consult, authoritative guide to avoiding the traps and snares in English, and so he brashly suggested to a publisher that he should write one. Surprisingly, the proposition was accepted, and for "a sum of money carefully gauged not to cause embarrassment or feelings of overworth," he proceeded to write that book--his first, inaugurating his stellar career.Now, a decade and a half later, revised, updated, and thoroughly (but not overly) Americanized, it has become Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words, more than ever an essential guide to the wonderfully disordered thing that is the English language. With some one thousand entries, from "a, an" to "zoom," that feature real-world examples of questionable usage from an international array of publications, and with a helpful glossary and guide to pronunciation, this precise, prescriptive, and--because it is written by Bill Bryson--often witty book belongs on the desk of every person who cares enough about the language not to maul or misuse or distort it.From the Hardcover edition.
Reviews
Review this book!
Available Copies
The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used
- Published
- 1984
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780713916539
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Narrabeen, New South Wales, AUS
- Item Price
-
$7.41
Show Details
Description:
Penguin 1984.. 1984. Hardcover. 8vo. hardcover. 173pp. Very good. / Very good d/w. . Item Price
$7.41
The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Acceptable
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780140511307
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
-
$1.01
Show Details
Description:
Paperback. Acceptable. Item Price
$1.01
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good
- Published
- August 2002
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Saint Louis, Missouri, USA
- Item Price
-
$7.00
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, August 2002. Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. Item Price
$7.00
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 2002
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, USA
- Item Price
-
$6.53
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books, 2002. Hardcover. Good. Missing dust jacket; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed. Item Price
$6.53
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767910439
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
GORING BY SEA, West Sussex, GBR
- Item Price
-
$1.84
Show Details
Description:
Paperback. Very Good. Item Price
$1.84
Troublesome Words
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 2002
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Seattle, Washington, USA
- Item Price
-
$6.53
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books, 2002. Hardcover. Good. Former library book; Pages can have notes/highlighting. Spine may show signs of wear. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend Less.Dust jacket quality is not guaranteed. Item Price
$6.53
More Photos
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words - A Writer's Guide to Getting it Right
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Fine
- Published
- 2002
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Stanley, New York, USA
- Item Price
-
$10.00
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2002. Book. Fine. Hardcover. Clean hardcover book and dust jacket. Black paper-covered boards with gold lettering on spine. No bumping or wear. Binding is tight and square, hinges are sound. All pages and edges are clean - no names, writing or marks. 241 pages + About the Author. Clean dust jacket is unchipped,… Read more about this item Item Price
$10.00
Troublesome Words Bill Bryson
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used - Good
- Published
- 1997-01-01
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780140266405
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Doncaster, South Yorkshire, GBR
- Item Price
-
$8.79
Show Details
Description:
Penguin, 1997-01-01. Paperback. Good. Cover differs to the one shown. Book is in good condition. Creasing to the cover and spine. Pages are yellowing. Item Price
$8.79
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used: Good
- Published
- 2002-08-15
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
HOUSTON, Texas, USA
- Item Price
-
$7.09
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2002-08-15. Hardcover. Used: Good. Item Price
$7.09
Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Mishawaka, Indiana, USA
- Item Price
-
$6.66
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Item Price
$6.66
Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Mishawaka, Indiana, USA
- Item Price
-
$6.66
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Item Price
$6.66
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Fine
- Jacket Condition
- Fine
- Published
- 2002
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Santa Barbara, California, USA
- Item Price
-
$9.50
Show Details
Description:
New York: Broadway Books, 2002. xiii, 241 pages; 22 cm. Tight, clean copy. Fine DJ. "One of the English language's most skilled and beloved writers guides us all toward precise, mistake-free usage. As usual Bill Bryson says it best:'English is a dazzlingly idiosyncratic tongue, full of quirks and irregularities that often seem willfully at odds with logic and common sense.… Read more about this item Item Price
$9.50
More Photos
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good
- Edition
- Book Club Edition
- Published
- 1987
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
nr Canterbury, Kent, GBR
- Item Price
-
$15.20
Show Details
Description:
UK: Guild Publishing, 1987. Book Club Edition . Hardcover. Very Good/Very Good. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 192pp. Red cloth-covered boards (sharp, square, clean). Internally neat, clean, bright and tight. In its original dust jacket, showing gentle edge wear and mild edge toning. An accessible guide to the more perplexing and contentious… Read more about this item Item Price
$15.20
BRYSON'S DICTIONARY OF TROUBLESOME WORDS
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Very Good+
- Jacket Condition
- Very Good+
- Edition
- Later Printing
- Published
- 2002
- Binding
- Hardcover
- ISBN
- 9780767910422
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Burlington, Ontario, CAN
- Item Price
-
$9.95
Show Details
Description:
New York: Broadway Books, 2002. Book. Very Good+. Hardcover. Later Printing. 8vo. (xiii) 241 pp. Quarter-bound in red on red boards; lettered in gilt on the spine; headband. Light rubbing at the corners of the dustjacket; price intact; no interior markings. The Contents are: Introduction; Troublesome Words; Appendix: Punctuation; and Glossary.. Item Price
$9.95
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used; Good
- Published
- 09/14/2004
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767910439
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
London, Greater London, GBR
- Item Price
-
$4.42
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books, 09/14/2004. Paperback. Used; Good. **WE SHIP WITHIN 24 HRS FROM LONDON, UK, 98% OF OUR ORDERS ARE RECEIVED WITHIN 7-10 DAYS. We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books. Item Price
$4.42
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words : A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780767910439
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Mishawaka, Indiana, USA
- Item Price
-
$7.09
Show Details
Description:
Crown Publishing Group, The. Used - Good. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Item Price
$7.09
Troublesome Words
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780140266405
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Dunfermline, Fife, GBR
- Item Price
-
$5.50
Show Details
Description:
Penguin Books, Limited. Used - Good. Ships from the UK. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Item Price
$5.50
Brysons Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writers Guide to Getting It Right
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used; Good
- Edition
- Reprint
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767910439
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Milton Keynes , Buckinghamshire, GBR
- Item Price
-
$4.41
Show Details
Description:
Broadway Books. Reprint. Paperback. Used; Good. Simply Brit welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring theres something for every literary palate. All orders are… Read more about this item Item Price
$4.41
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words : A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right
by Bryson, Bill
- Condition
- Used - Good
- ISBN
- 9780767910439
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
Mishawaka, Indiana, USA
- Item Price
-
$7.21
Show Details
Description:
Crown Publishing Group, The. Used - Good. Former library book; may include library markings. Used book that is in clean, average condition without any missing pages. Item Price
$7.21
Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words: A Writer's Guide to Getting It Right
by Bill Bryson
- Condition
- Used: Good
- Published
- 2004-09-14
- Binding
- Paperback
- ISBN
- 9780767910439
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Seller
-
HOUSTON, Texas, USA
- Item Price
-
$7.77
Show Details
Description:
Broadway, 2004-09-14. Paperback. Used: Good. Item Price
$7.77