The Oxford Essential Dictionary of Difficult Words
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is a wonder if your style of writing is a bit on the intellectual side or if you want an Anthony Hopkins type of character, ala Silence of the Lambs–educated, professorial, cerebral. Their dialogue and interior monologue must include words that are well-selected, pithy, yet meaningful in their spot. They become the signature of that person and the reader recognizes the character’s appearance on a scene by their speaking style. If that’s not your normal speaking style (as it isn’t for most of us), it can be tricky, but not impossible thanks to this book.
In my case, I love words. I keep a list of my five hundred favorite words (like abecederian and apocryphal). I enjoy finding that one word to replace ten others–
- dew point
- heuristic
- curmudgeon
…or the exact word to fit a circumstance
- diaphoretic
- heterodox
- palindrome
When I bought this book, I curled up in bed and read it before going to sleep. The beauty of well-selected words is calming. So many of them flow off the tongue as though they should always have been there, in my mind.
- xenophobic
- obfuscate
- bibliophile
- perspicacity
Oxford Essential Dictionary of Difficult Words also has common words that we-all have likely forgotten–
- objective
- pantomime
- raffish
- spurious
When I read these, I scratched my head. They aren’t difficult, but–then it struck me–when was the last time I used them?
For more about beautiful words, check out these posts:
10 Tips Plus One More About Beautiful Words
103 Most Beautiful Words? You Decide
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy. She is webmaster for six blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for Examiner.com and TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. In her free time, she is editor of technology training books for how to integrate technology in education. Currently, she’s editing a techno-thriller that should be out to publishers next summer.
worddreams.wordpress.com 
Yes, I enjoy reading over your blogs!
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One of my favorites, brings such womderful memories when I was preparing for the General Certificate exam in London!
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That’s interesting. It makes sense though–that’s the type of practical, specific words it has.
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Wonderful words, wonderful post. I collect words also.
What’s your absolute most favorite word?
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I sometimes end up using these four-syllable wonders in daily conversation. I think you’ve already heard my current favorite–neologist. I believe I used it at one of our meetings. I had a reader once complain (kindly) that I’d used a word that didn’t exist and I reminded her, We are writers. Which means we are neologists.
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I do remember, though I don’t remember the other person. I was choking down my rising laughter then. Now I’m just laughing out loud.
At same group, different day, someone asked me about the word “fusty,” implying I didn’t know what it meant or how to use it. I was so shocked that this particular person didn’t know the word, instead of coming up with a terrific retort, as you did, I simply bent down and gathered my eyeballs rolling on the floor.
Showing a bit of miff or doubt is fine, but one better know all the words in the dictionary lest one appear a counterfeit scholar.
Thanks again for enlarging mine.
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OOOO, this looks good. On my bedside table is the book, The Big Book of Words You Should Know. I love relaxing in bed, leafing through the pages, picking out words that can float through my head and maybe into my dreams and better yet the next piece I write! It’s like you said, “calming.”
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I haven’t heard of that. I am going to have to look it up.
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I must get one for those times I might need to spiffy up a specific character. Thanks, Jacqui.
*giggles* I’ve been known to curl up in bed with a Thesaurus for company. Tee-hee.
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It’s great for that–spiffing up a character. Make him the bibliophile with the big words. Hmm… There’s a word for that…
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My two favorite words are bibliophile and bibliobibuli. 😀
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Oooh, never heard of bibliobibuli
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I remember using this wonderful book a decade back for my MBA preparations. Lovely one.
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Oh, that’s interesting. Good use for it. Hadn’t thought of that.
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I knew half these words. I love perusing the dictionary to find new and interesting words to use when writing.
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Oh, you’d love this book then, Medeia. They aren’t so much ‘difficult’ as ‘not commonly used’. You must have an enviable vocabulary.
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Interesting to learn new words, and new usage for known words. Thanks for sharing about this book.
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It’s a great ‘sponge’ read–when you have a few minutes, are bored, hate wasting time.
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A good idea for character use! I’ll keep this one in mind. Thank you. I do also like to learn myself, so it would be an interesting browsing experience.
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I love the words in this book. They are just that side of what fits daily conversation.
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I’ve just ordered it from Amazon! Thanks Jacqui!
Oh, and while I’m here, I saw your blog mentioned on the WordPress blog the other day. Congratulations!
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Was that cool! It took me by surprise. What a bump to viewers.
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