Words You Thought You Knew: 1001 Commonly Misused and Misunderstood Words and Phrases

First off, there are some good things here. Words that are endlessly misused, for example. Words that are truly difficult to differentiate because the differences are more in the connotation than in the actual definition. Words that are often or can be easily used confused. Words nobody bothered to teach you how to understand and use correctly.

Then again, there are also words that should not be in here at all. Words no one cares about (pneu.... -- who cares!). Words that are used too infrequently to be a part of a book like this (bunghole, confit).


And there are the errors. Words that the author defines too narrowly (diet, depression, via); the "preferred" definition isn't the only correct one. Words that can be either different in meaning or synonymous, depending on the context (such as the debate on "inclusion" and "mainstreaming"). Pet peeves are not the same as errors (done, finished, & completed). And the plain wrong (yes, "hysterical" also means "extremely funny.") Being politically incorrect is not grammatically (or any other use of words) incorrect (gyp -- and that's not a definite reference to gypsies; funny, "redneck" wasn't in there).

This book is fine as one of many references, simply because it does have a number of misused words in one place. But be aware that it has errors and tends to be too narrow in its definitions. You will need other resources. Check what you read here against other sources before you take it to heart.

Have you ever used a word in a conversation and were not sure it was correct or
wrote a paper using a word and you were not sure of the meaning? If so, WORDS
YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW is the reference book that was written for you.

WORDS YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW is fun, witty and engaging. While I enjoyed
reading it immensely, I also learned a few things in the process, such as the
correct use for the word unbelievable. Unbelievable is commonly used as a synonym for fantastic or great, when it actually means that something is not believable or not the truth. Each entry is followed by a short anecdote on the proper use of the word.

After reading WORDS YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW the reader will have a better command
of the English language and a better writing advantage. You may not be able
to apply your new found knowledge among the general population because the
commonly misused words are widely accepted as correct. WORDS YOU THOUGHT YOU
KNEW is a reference book that every writer and public speaker can benefit from.

Reviewed by Aiesha Flowers
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Jenna Glatzer's new title is one of those reference books that you never realized how much you needed until you start reading it. It's chock-full of fascinating words and information, much of which is spiced up by Glatzer's tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. After pithy but easy-to-comprehend descriptions of words and phrases, she includes information about usage and spelling, along with a brief example sentence. The book is an invaluable addition to any person's library and is especially useful for writers and those who love words.

For all those who `pour' over documents, fall `prostrate' in the face of a threat, insist that Tom Dooley was `hung,' or can't decide if you `empathize' or `sympathize,' this book is for you! ~Lori L. Lake, author of Stepping Out, Different Dress, Gun Shy, Under The Gun, and Ricochet In Time, and reviewer for Midwest Book Review, The Independent Gay Writer, The Gay Read, and Just About Write.

This book has too many mistakes, period. Sure, the author gets it right most of the time, but a B minus is not good enough for this type of book. Why? There is always some self-styled grammarian lurking about, ready to correct your English during a conversation. It's rude to do so, of course, and it's annoying enough when the person doing the correcting is right, but it's doubly annoying when the person offering to "educate" you is wrong.

This book is going to give a lot of these jackasses a false sense of legitimacy. Get ready.

While this book might be useful for writers, it is entertaining enough that non-writers will enjoy reading it. Her explanations are humorous and easy to understand. There are two reasons that I didn't give it five stars. The first, and she admits this, the book is prescriptive, but dictionaries are descriptive. So, she is stating how words should be used, rather than how they are used. Strict adherence to her definitions could cause some confusion (but she usually points this out). The second reason is some of her definitions are not completely accurate (e.g., Glatzer states that presumption and assumption are the same. They are not. You need reliable evidence before you can make a presumption. No evidence is needed for an assumption.).

Overall, I found this book quite enjoyable and would recommend it to others.