The Lexicon: A Cornucopia of Wonderful Words for the Inquisitive Word Lover by William F. Buckley Jr., Beahm, Arnold Roth (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Have you ever tried to decoct what you read in the newspapers? Do you wish to Procrusteanize your office mates? Do acidulous comments make you blush? Do you wish to adumbrate your desires to a meticulist? If so -- and if you have searched for the proper way to express these feelings in your language, then this handy pocket word guide is all you need to do so. William F. Buckley, Jr., has long been famed for his addiction to and marvelous skill with words of all kinds. Nowhe has put together a collection of his own personal favorites -- words he uses with probity and largesse. With just this volume you, too, will be able to sprinkle your own sentences with the best of good English. Amusingly illustrated in black-and-white by master cartoonist Arnold Roth, The Lexicon will prove to be, not arcana for the dilettante, but fecundity for the well-rounded reader.

Library Journal

Buckley is a wordsmith extraordinaire, his speech and writing regularly peppered with arcane vocabulary. This book, previously published as part of Buckley's linguistic compendium, The Right Word (LJ 12/96), brings together a list of his favorite words, each with a citation from one of his many published works. Words like epigone, nugatory, and rodomontade will stretch the frontiers of most readers' vocabulary, and the illustrations by Arnold Roth are a perfect accompaniment to the text. This would be a great choice for students studying for the SATs or for anyone who loves language--it's certainly more useful, and more fun, than those word-a-day calendars. Highly recommended for all collections.--Lisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., WI

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