Description

‘A joy to read’ David Crystal | ‘Gulp it down’ Lucy Mangan | ‘A gem’ Simon Garfield

Swamp 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 precision?

For 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.

Publisher Review

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 *