Comments on: A Feast for Word Lovers: The Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus

By: Borrowing (Words) | "la parole exportée"

Borrowing (Words) | "la parole exportée" — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:38:09 +0000

[...] not a frequent user of thesauri myself, although upon Joanna Young’s advice at Confident Writing, I did get the Oxford American Writer’s Thesaurus, which I promise will not sit on my shelves [...]

By: Joanna

Joanna — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:44:32 +0000

Hi Alina – thanks for making me smile! I love Friends too, and some of Joey’s faux pas are real classics

Debbie Flicking through the pages feels to me like a more creative way to find ‘just the right word’ – plus you’re less likely to be led astray than a suggestion from the computer. That being said it is quite an outlay – though would make a nice gift…

By: Debbie Yost

Debbie Yost — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 17:09:58 +0000

I often use the Thesaurus feature on Word. There are so many times where I can't think of the word I want, but can sometimes find it that way. I wouldn't have thought to buy a thesaurus, though. You make some very good points and I may have to consider putting it on my Christmas list! Debbie Yosts last blog post..Special Exposure Wednesday

By: Alina Popescu

Alina Popescu — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 15:41:49 +0000

Hi Joanna! For some reason, whenever I hear or read the word "thesaurus", I can't help the big goofy smile on my face as I remember and episode of Friends where Joey uses the thesaurus in word to replace all the words of a recommendation letter :d Moving past that moment, thanks for the review! I wasn't planning on buying one soon, but I just might now. Alina Alina Popescus last blog post..How to find problems to fix

By: Joanna

Joanna — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:20:24 +0000

Brad, you’re right, “synonym dictionary” doesn’t really cut the mustard, does it?

Ru4real, I think I need a better name to address you by! I’m glad you found it useful. Sounds like you’ve already got a good reference source to help your daughter.

By: ru4real?

ru4real? — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 20:55:17 +0000

We don't have this same book, but my daughter often uses a thesaurus for her homeschool assignments. It is a great way to expand her comprehension of a word meaning. I don't remember using it much when I was in school. Thanks for the review. ru4real?s last blog post..7 Super Helpful Bible Study Tools

By: Brad Shorr

Brad Shorr — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 19:44:22 +0000

Do you notice how ironic it is that there is no synonym for "thesaurus"? Brad Shorrs last blog post..7 Things I’m Thankful For

By: Joanna

Joanna — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:49:17 +0000

Wilson, back to basics + plain English is what I recommend too. What I liked about this thesaurus is that I could see it would tempt me to plain word alternatives rather than fancier ones – one of the reasons I think I’ll be using it often.

Brad, hmmm, thesauruses I guess. Presumably we’re not supposed to have more than one at a time, the word looks so odd! They can indeed be dangerous, and I advise using them with care… though there’s something about this one that I think will help me to check I’m getting a meaning right. Except for Texas slang of course, where it fails dismally.

Robert, as discussed on Twitter, a guide to the language of the Zone is a fab idea!

Carla, thanks for the links. Web references are invaluable and often used by me too. I certainly wouldn’t be lugging this thesaurus anywhere other than from one room to another – it weighs a ton! (PS sorry you could stuck for a while – it was the links you shared)

By: Carla

Carla — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 17:57:19 +0000

I’m almost tempted to get this for myself.

I sometimes use:
http://thesaurus.reference.com/
http://www.merriam-webster.com/
and other online thesauruses because its easier than searching for a book from my somewhat large library or sometimes, I’m just not home when composing a post (and don’t like to haul books around). The online versions work well for me when I’m just stuck and truly need to find another word to use.

Carlas last blog post..Holiday Gift Ideas | Not Buying it

By: Robert Hruzek

Robert Hruzek — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:48:30 +0000

I’m tellin’ ya; I couldn’t get along without my tesarus, er, tussaroos, um, thisaround -my book of alternate words!

But I find it of only limited usefulness. For instance, does it have the word “Bubba” in it? I think not!

Nope; you’ll need a lexicon of Texas slang for that. OR you could always read the Middle Zone…

Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Seven Things I Am Thankful For – A Writing Project