Glatzer, Jenna. Words you thought you knew … 1001 commonly misused and misunderstood words and phrases - Brief Article - Book Review

Adams Media (57 Littlefield Street, Avon, MA 03422). 310p. 1-58062-941-5. $8.95. SA Jenna Glatzer, editor-in-chief of Absolute Write (www.absolutewrite.com), polled the roughly 62,000 writers who subscribe to her service to find the most irksome usage errors. This little manual is the result. There are the traditional favorites (its/it's, there/their/they're, accept/ except, bring/take, lie/lay) and some new bloopers. Words that cause confusion include gormless, ghostwriter, brutalize, billabong, immolate, papoose, Wicca, and bull session. Glatzer's style is breezy ("In case you missed the movie Dead Poets Society, carpe diem is Latin for seize the day. Good advice, don't you think?"). And yes, there will be a quiz later. In fact, the volume ends with a 50-question test. You'd think 62,000 writers owned dictionaries or usage manuals, but this is an enjoyable read that obviously serves an expressed need. Janet Julian, Grafton, MA

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