Usage and Abusage: A Guide to Good English

An updated edition of a useful, entertaining guide to picking the right words (and avoiding the wrong ones). Which is preferred – nom de plume, pseudonym, or pen name? What are neologisms, disguised conjunctions, and fused participles? Language enters into almost every part of human life and yet it is all too often misused: directness and clarity disappear in a whirl of cliches, euphemisms, and wooliness of expression. Janet Whitcut has revised Eric Partridge’s popular reference book to reflect the language of well-informed writers, readers, and speakers today. She has also added a section to the book entitled “Vogue Words,” which includes words that have acquired a new power and influence.