One of the English language's most skilled and beloved writers guides us all toward precise, mistake-free usage. As usual Bill Bryson says it best: "English is a dazzlingly idiosyncratic tongue, full of quirks and irregularities that often seem willfully at odds with logic...
What is the difference between mean and median, blatant and flagrant, flout and flaunt? Is it whodunnit or whodunit? Do you know? Are you sure?
This dictionary provides a straightforward guide to the pitfalls and hotly disputed issues in written English. The entries are discussed with wit and common sense, and illustrated with examples of questionable usage taken from leading British and American newspapers, plus occasional...