Dictionary of Fine Distinctions: Nuances, Niceties and Subtle Shades of Meaning

(Paperback, Main)

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'Delightful' Steven Pinker | 'A joy to read' David Crystal | 'Gulp it down' Lucy Mangan | 'A gem' Simon GarfieldSwamp or bog Guilt or shame Clementine or tangerine We like to think that we choose our words with care, but are we using them with any degree of accuracy - or should that be precisionFor hair-splitters and language lovers, Dictionary of Fine Distinctions explores the world of the vanishingly small, teasing apart the terms that we tend to collapse, conflate, or confuse. An illustrated odyssey into minute differences in meaning, Eli Burnstein's unputdownable guide will hone your wits, tickle your brain, and deepen your appreciation for the infinite (and infinitesimal) nuances all around us.

Reviews

A distinguished book of fine distinctions which can save you from muddling a latte with a flat white. Life-saving! -- Michael Rosen * Rosen's Almanac *
Buy this for every word nerd you know and watch them fibrillate with delight as they gulp it down -- Lucy Mangan * Bookish *
A great idea, beautifully realized. I shall never have a latte again without thinking of this book! A joy to read -- David Crystal * How Language Works *
This delightful book is a tribute to the genius of the human mind for conceptual precision and the beauty of the English language in capturing it -- Steven Pinker * The Language Instinct *
Engaging, challenging and sometimes infuriating - a gem of a book that will help you be both precise and accurate, and distinguish between the two -- Simon Garfield * Just My Type *
One doesn't have to read for long before experiencing a 'Eureka' moment, in which a previously murky subject comes into focus * Wall Street Journal *
An immensely satisfying book * Washington Examiner *

Author Bio

Eli Burnstein is a Canadian humour writer, living in London. His work has appeared in the New Yorker, McSweeney's Internet Tendency, Slackjaw, Weekly Humorist and Points in Case. He runs a spelling bee (Spelling Bae) that has been featured in the Toronto Star and the National Post, and on CBC Radio.