That Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means

$ 14.99

Even the most erudite among us use words like apocryphal, facetious, factoid, ironic, meteorite, moot, redundant, and unique incorrectly every day. Don't be one of them.

In this entertaining guide, language gurus Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras delve into the proper meanings of the top 150 misused, confused, and abused words in the English language. Along the way, they reveal the fascinating stories behind commonly mixed-up word pairs like adverse and averse, words that used to have different meanings (nice used to mean "stupid or foolish" in Medieval English), and delightful examples of misuse from leading newspapers, famous writers, and prominent public figures. By the end of this book, you will be able to confidently, casually, and correctly toss an "a priori" or a "limn" into conversation without hesitation.

Ross Petras and Kathryn Petras