Points out common pitfalls of writing, listing thousands of wordy phrases followed by concise alternative expressions

Guide to Concise Writing

Reference

Fiske, Robert Hartwell

Dictionaries & Thesauruses

Macmillan General* Reference

The essential guide to writing succinctly. Who doesn’t hate wading through wordy paragraphs? Unfortunately, many writers don’t realize when they are padding their sentences and obscuring their meaning. Enter To the Point, the essential guide to writing succinctly. Featuring hundreds of new entries, this freshly updated edition is complete with: • A guide to the basics of writing concisely, including how to reduce the number of words in a phrase, substitute a single word for a phrase, and delete extraneous words and phrases.
• The "Dictionary of Concise Writing," which gives concise alternatives to thousands of wordy phrases. Language expert Robert Hartwell Fiske uses each wordy phrase in a sentence and then rewrites or deletes the phrase entirely to show how the sentence can be improved.
• The brand new "Guide to Obfuscation: A Reverse Dictionary," which helps writers build a more pithy vocabulary.
To the Point is the perfect reference book for anyone who wants to communicate more effectively through clear and beautiful writing.

To the Point: A Dictionary of Concise Writing

Catalogs & Directories

W.W.Norton&Company

Cliches. Once they were so original, so fresh. Now, everybody uses them, and if your work depends on lively prose, they're a problem. This book is the solution. Fiske takes you on a tour of the world of "dimwitticisms"; moribund metaphors, torpid terms and wretched redundancies that have all the impact of foam-rubber cannonballs. Fiske's comprehensive thesaurus lists hundreds of problem phrases along with witty commentary and useful synonyms that will help you make your writing energetic and interesting. In this book you'll learn: how to keep your prose fat-free; the shelf life of a metaphor; how to avoid insipid similes; why the road to obscurity is paved with superlatives; how to use language with intelligence and panache. You will also learn to identify and change those moldy oldies that can dull your writing style, and then avoid them forever.

Thesaurus of Alternatives to Worn-Out Words & Phrases

iUniverse, Inc.

This is the second edition of the book.

The Dimwit's Dictionary

Castle Books

Lists words and phrases which have lost their impact from overuse and which should be avoided, and suggests more direct and appropriate alternatives

Thesaurus of Alternatives to Worn-Out Words and Phrases

Writers' Digest Books

Provides a look at wordiness, how to spot it, and how to substitue compact alternatives for wordy phrases

The Writer's Digest Dictionary of Concise Writing

Literature & Fiction

A guide to clean, strong prose that lists thousands of common, wordy phrases and offers concise alternatives.

The Dictionary of Concise Writing: 10,000 Alternatives to Wordy Phrases

Marion Street Press, Inc.

Robert Hartwell Fiske aims to eliminate laxity in language today by way of this witty and engaging reference. Fiske rails against "laxicographers and ding-a-linguists" who, with their misguided thinking, actually promote the dissolution of the English language. He also illustrates why dictionaries don't always provide the correct meaning or usage of a word. With concise instruction and numerous examples of misused words, Fiske makes it easier than ever to learn from others' mistakes.  This comprehensive dictionary of common misusages lays bare the mistakes we all make every day. Robert Hartwell Fiske, the grumbling grammarian of our time, shows you the definitive right way and wrong way to use language--and illustrates why dictionaries don't always provide the correct meaning or usage of a word.

Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with commentary on lexicographers and linguists

Scribner

However curmudgeonly, Mr. Fiske betrays a bluff humanitarian spirit. ... Fiske wants to save the English language. And he knows that he can count on little help. "Dictionaries have virtually no standards, offer scant guidance, and advance only misunderstanding." His own flogging of Merriam-Webster's is one of the many pleasures of this lovely, sour, virtuous book. -- Wall Street Journal *** Today's popular dictionaries often fail to define words correctly or to distinguish between them; some dictionaries even maintain that one word means the same as another simply because people who do not know the correct meanings of the words confuse them. Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English -- a supplement to whatever dictionary you own or use -- is an attempt to combat this nonsense, to return meaning and distinction to the words we use. Robert Hartwell Fiske rails against "laxicographers and ding-a-linguists" who, with their misguided thinking, actually promote the dissolution of the English language. He also illustrates why dictionaries don't always provide the correct meaning or usage of a word. With concise instruction and numerous examples of misused words, Fiske makes it easier than ever to learn from others' mistakes. However curmudgeonly, Mr. Fiske betrays a bluff humanitarian spirit. ... Fiske wants to save the English language. And he knows that he can count on little help. "Dictionaries have virtually no standards, offer scant guidance, and advance only misunderstanding." His own flogging of Merriam-Webster's is one of the many pleasures of this lovely, sour, virtuous book. -- Wall Street Journal

The Dictionary of Disagreeable English provides writers with the tools they need to identify tricky grammar and usage problems and to correct them instantly, with ease. This accessible and humorous guide is: * Easy to use, with no previous knowledge of grammar needed, allowing writers to find mistakes and fix them quickly * Packed with useful tips and sidebars that include helpful Q&amp;As, common grammar pitfalls, and top ten lists of need-to-know information * Written by the Grumbling Grammarian, Robert Hartwell Fiske, whose witty and grouchy tone will engage both novices and word mavens With its handy size, writers will be hard-pressed to find a more entertaining and useful grammar guide.

Dictionary Of Disagreeable English: A Curmudgeon's Compendium of Excruciatingly Correct Grammar

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fiske, Robert Hartwell. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Fiske, Robert Hartwell

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Fiske, Robert Hartwell. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Guide to Concise Writing

To the Point: A Dictionary of Concise Writing

Thesaurus of Alternatives to Worn-Out Words & Phrases

The Dimwit's Dictionary

Thesaurus of Alternatives to Worn-Out Words and Phrases

The Writer's Digest Dictionary of Concise Writing

The Dictionary of Concise Writing: 10,000 Alternatives to Wordy Phrases

Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with commentary on lexicographers and linguists

Robert Hartwell Fiske's Dictionary of Unendurable English: A Compendium of Mistakes in Grammar, Usage, and Spelling with commentary on lexicographers and linguists

Dictionary Of Disagreeable English: A Curmudgeon's Compendium of Excruciatingly Correct Grammar