Right, wrong, and risky : a dictionary of today's American English usage /

Full-time writer and former professor of communications Davidson offers a dictionary that views the real world of today's American English, identifying usage questions that are debatable, citing conflicting answers, and offering risk-free solutions for each conflict. Presented in straight alphabetical order, all of the standard usage questions are covered, including a or an; comprise or constitute; and data is or data are. What makes this dictionary so useful for a general audience (and readable for browsers) is the vast array of contemporary examples of usage, ranging from New Yorker cartoons to storefront signs. In addition, Davidson addresses many common punctuation pitfalls, including the current ubiquitous abuse of the apostrophe. Browsers will enjoy the colorful, interesting backstories on the origins of terms such as ground zero, on the sudden warming to the phrase girl talk, and on the widely misunderstood use of the word Neanderthal. And students struggling with language issues will especially appreciate Davidson's up-to-date, exceptionally clear explanations of common trouble spots. --Joanne Wilkinson Copyright 2005 Booklist

Glamor or glamour? Glance or glimpse? Graceful or gracious? Ah, the wonderful (im)possibility of the English language: two words may sound the same but be written in an entirely different way, they my derive from the same root but have different meanings, or they may be spelled differently but be used interchangeably. Journalist and communications professor Davidson (who died last year) makes sense of it all in this easy-to-use A-to-Z listing of 2500 entries, demystifying the usage of words to help us express ourselves without sounding ambiguous or plain dull. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.