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In this fast-paced information age, how can Americans know what's really important and what's just a passing fashion? Now more than ever, we need a source that concisely sums up the knowledge that matters to Americans - the people, places, ideas, and events that shape our cultural conversation. With a considerably large number of entries, The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy is that invaluable source. Wireless technology, Gene therapy, NAFTA. In...
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Much loved for its wit and wisdom since 1870, Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable takes you on a captivating adventure through its trademark blend of language, culture, myth and legend. Nowhere else could the histories of the guillotine and Guinness stout sit so comfortably alongside the KGB and the Keystone Kops. Brewer's is a catalogue of curiosities and absurdities that, over almost 150 years in print, has acquired near-mythical status. Edited...
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"Whether it's for a professional document, a school paper, an Internet blog, or something more personal, effective communication depends on clear, concise, and grammatically correct writing. Punctuation, spelling, and grammar rules can trip up anyone, while organization and word choice can make writing memorable--or banal. Whether you are writing a term paper, a scientific article, a resume, a business email, a text message, or presenting information...
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This dictionary provides the user with the basic vocabulary used in business in both British and American English. The dictionary contains words and phrases which cover all aspects of business life from the office to the Stock Exchange and international trade fairs. It is designed for anyone who needs to check the meaning or pronunciation of a business term, but especially for those for whom English is an additional language. Each entry is explained...
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Edited by Robert Nelson and Richard Shiff, Critical terms for art history is both an exposition and a demonstration of contested terms from the current art historical vocabulary. In individual essays, scholars examine the history and use of these terms by grounding their discussions in single works of art, reading each work through current debates and methods. This instructive combination of theory and practice allows readers to examine the terms...
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This updated 2018 Classic Edition contains the original version of William Strunk's The Elements of Style, plus a variety of enhancements that make this book even more useful. It is now being used as a textbook in classes at University of Minnesota, University of Texas, UC Berkeley, and elsewhere. Generations of college students and writers have learned the basics of English grammar from this short book. It was rated "one of the 100 most influential...
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Argument is all around us-in school hallways and on social media, from capitol buildings to television newsrooms. With lively, real-world examples on topics that matter, Everything's an Argument helps you listen-really listen-to the arguments that affect you and provides the tools to respond, challenge, and explore your own.
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"An entertaining and illuminating collection of weird, wonderful, and downright baffling words from the origins of English--and what they reveal about the lives of the earliest English speakers. Old English is the language you think you know until you actually hear or see it. Unlike Shakespearean English or even Chaucer's Middle English, Old English--the language of Beowulf--defies comprehension by untrained modern readers. Used throughout much of...
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In this unique new history of the world's most ubiquitous language, linguistics expert David Crystal draws on words that best illustrate the huge variety of sources, influences, and events that have helped to shape our vernacular since the first definitively English word was written down in the fifth century ("roe," in case you are wondering). Featuring Latinate and Celtic words, weasel words and nonce-words, ancient words ("loaf") to cutting-edge...
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"Delightful, enlightening . . . The twisty history of the hybrid divider perfectly embodies the transience of language." —Vulture
The semicolon. Stephen King, Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Orwell detest it. Herman Melville, Henry James, and Rebecca Solnit love it. But why? When is it effective? Have we been misusing it? Should we even care?
In Semicolon, Cecelia Watson charts the rise and fall of this infamous punctuation...
The semicolon. Stephen King, Hemingway, Vonnegut, and Orwell detest it. Herman Melville, Henry James, and Rebecca Solnit love it. But why? When is it effective? Have we been misusing it? Should we even care?
In Semicolon, Cecelia Watson charts the rise and fall of this infamous punctuation...
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"An enlightening linguistic journey through a thousand years of feminist language--and what we can learn from the vivid vocabulary that English once had for women's bodies, experiences, and sexuality. So many of the words that we use to chronicle women's lives feel awkward or alien. Medical terms are scrupulously accurate but antiseptic. Slang and obscenities have shock value, yet they perpetuate taboos. Where are the plain, honest words for women's...
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Immerse yourself in the most interesting, authoritative and helpful English dictionary available -- the unrivalled guide for word lovers. Whether you're an avid wordgamer or just enjoy revelling in the quirks and curiosities of the English language, The Chambers Dictionary is your ultimate companion.