David Grambs

A dictionary of the observable world features definition-first organization; passages from the writings of James, Updike, and others; and words concerning shapes, textures, colors, terrain, and more

A Treasury of Terms and Literary Quotations

The Describer's Dictionary

Words about Words

Literary Companion Dictionary

"Like animals, plants and book reviewers, words can become extinct, but Grambs is here to salvage the most missed of the lexical dinosaurs."—Patricia Holt, San Francisco Chronicle We often hear about the richness of the English language, how many more words it contains than French or German. And yet modern desk dictionaries are the result of a paring away of that glory, so that merely standard, functional, current words remain. The price we pay for such convenience is the thousands of delightful words we never see or hear. This book is an effort to save some of those words applicable to everyday life and countless word games from extinction. The resultant treasure trove of exotic verbal creatures is an indispensable resource for every lover of language. A selection: egrutten: having a face swollen from weeping numquid: an inquisitive person sardoodledum: drama that is contrived, stagy, or unrealistic mimp: to purse one's lips

The Endangered English Dictionary: Bodacious Words Your Dictionary Forgot

Ellen S. Levine

The unmatched guide—and perfect gift—for stymied scribes and working wordsmiths everywhere, now expanded and updated. A singular and indispensable reference tool, The Describer's Dictionary—now expanded and updated—has served for over twenty years as the go-to resource for writers who are determined to capture the world in just the right words. The dictionary uses a unique reverse definition-to-term format that makes it easy to zero in on the term you're seeking. Turn to the new section on sensory impressions, for example, to find vivid terms for "loud or jarring," such as "grating," "harsh," "piercing," "blaring," "thunderous," "cacophonous," and "raucous." And at the end of each section dozens of illustrative passages by notable fiction and nonfiction authors—including Donna Tartt, Michael Lewis, Zadie Smith, Khaled Hosseini, and Paul Theroux—bring the terminology to life. New in this edition: • Hundreds of additional definitions, terms, and synonyms • Brand-new categories, including "Physical States and Symptoms," "Temperament and Behavior," "Rooms and Interior Spaces," "Weather and Forces of Nature," and "The Solar System" • Over 400 new quotations from books, periodicals, and digital media by established and rising literary stars • An index of the more than 600 authors quoted in the book

David Grambs

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