I really enjoyed this book and as well as being a very useful reference guide it was also enjoyable to read. I learnt a lot of things in regards to the English language and some good 'trivia' type things as well. This book was published in 2002 and probably lost a lot of readers following the internet boom. Anybody who has an interest in reading or writing would enjoy this book.

This not a book you actually read, you peruse it over and over. I’m going to have to return this to the library and buy a copy of my own, to refer to over and over.

I have done the NYT Crossword puzzle every day for as long as I can remember and thought I had a pretty good grasp on the English language. Well, I don’t! I was amazed at all the errors made every day by everyone.


Lie and lay were my Mother’s pet peeve, you lay a book down, you lie in the sun. I always wanted to lay by the pool - to this day I can hear her correcting me! Toe and tow are my favorites - you toe the line but tow a boat! Preposition, anything a rabbit can do to a hill - he can run over, under, around and through it! I think I learned that in about 3rd grade. Never use a preposition at the end of a sentence - where are you going? No to needed. The book is full of this type of fun trivia about spelling, usage, grammar and origin

In my quest to read all of Mr. Bryson's books, some are easier than others. But I have to say that, for a grammar nerd who loves words, this was a joy. It did take me a long time as I didn't want to read too much at once for fear it would run out of my ears, but I learned a lot and I will be hanging onto this as a reference book for a long time to come.

Did you know the phrase is to the manner born, not manor? Oops. Me neither. Did you know a koala is not a koala bear? That one I did learn last year while preparing to visit Australia. How about that there is no such thing as one kudo? You give someone kudos or none at all. Luckily for all of us, Mr. Bryson has pulled together here a comprehensive list of the most commonly misused ("As U.S. travel abroad drops, Europe grieves" -New York Times. Really? Grieves?), misunderstood (grisly vs. grizzly), and overused words and phrases (lion's share) in writing.

As Mr. Bryson was a copyeditor at Penguin in the U.K., once or twice I did wonder if his use of a word was British, however he does note differences in American and British usage (if not spelling, and the spelling throughout and punctuation are American) so I think my guesses about those Brit-isms are likely wrong. But it is worth noting that he does elucidate a lot of British place names that an American will never need to know. However that minor inconvenience is not good reason to ignore this book. I love how he comes down on the side of reason and sense over rules and traditions (it is okay to split an infinitive, as well as end a sentence with a preposition!) but he has done his homework and cites multiple sources for any debate, and even tries to find the originator of those rather random grammar "rules," to point out how recent and ill-founded they are.

So if you've ever wondered when to use "on to" instead of "onto" or whether it is better to use "flammable" or "inflammable" when talking about a thing easily lit on fire, Mr. Bryson has you covered. If you find this book cursory and wish it were more comprehensive, he's got you covered with Bryson's Dictionary for Writers and Editors. But if you actually want to read a dictionary straight through and retain any of it, I recommend starting with this thinner volume. And if you just love words and language, you need to check out Made in America: An Informal History of the English Language in the United States and The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way.

This is a brilliant little book and a must read/desk companion for professional writers. Arranged alphabetically, it basically explains correct spellings, etymology and meanings of various words and the mistakes that even lovers of words and writing can make. For example when to use compliment or complement; when to parlay or attend a parley. He explains the real meaning of condone (which is not to approve or endorse but to forgive - whoops!) and takes his time over who and whom. He also explains a range of tautologies, redundancies (past history!) and misspellings - basically, the common errors that even the best writers can make. It's fun (a wee bit shocking and embarrassing) to flick through and realize you have committed a particular lexical sin, and more than once, but in typical Bryson fashion, it's also terrific to read cover to cover. This is a book that will never stray far from my desk. Promise.

'Bryson's Dictionary of Troublesome Words' was interesting, educational and worthwhile. Although it is marketed as being for writers (and most examples are from newspaper articles), I'd say every type of reader has something to gain from it. We all have pieces of writing we need to do in our every day, whether for our job or communicating with others via email, but it also helps in analysing and critiquing a piece you've read, ascertain the degree of research and polish a writer has put into their own work. Even in spoken word this could very much come in handy, as it is a list of words, not just how you spell them but also their exact meanings or prepositions they have to be followed by.

My only hesitation is that I'm not sure how I'd recommend perusing it. I read it front to back, and I could imagine you could do that initially, familiarise yourself with the content, and then go back to it whenever you have an inkling that a word you're concerned about is listed. But I wonder: would you actually revisit this book or go straight up to an English language dictionary or a guide to grammar? I'd imagine this is incomplete, as it's based only on Bryson's experiences and observations so unless the style really works for you or you already know there's an explanation you're looking for here, I can't think of the right scenario.

A couple of the interesting things I learned about and/or solidified:
- Lots of superfluous words are commonly used, such as 'again' with words starting with 're-' e.g. return again; 'new' with words that imply newness already e.g. 'new creation';
- How to write Philippines correctly (one l, two ps);
- The confusion between colleges in Oxford and Cambridge that are pronounced the same but spelled differently (Queen's College and Queens' College or Magdalen College and Magdalene College);
- The fact that the word 'peruse' most oftens means reading carefully rather than browsing quickly as it's come into everyday language;
- When to use 'fewer' and 'less' with 'fewer' used when you can count them such as people, and 'less' when you can't such as sugar;
- Use more periods, eliminate the need for the reader to keep in mind a lot of information at once;
- Similarly, the verbs and pronounce that relate to a noun will naturally seem to apply to the nearest one, don't make the reader have to go back and scan previous content.

2.5/5

This really isn't a book one reads cover to cover, but I have strolled through a few pages each day and had a lovely time learning the nuances of each word or phrase Bryson included in this book. Reading his books always makes me wish he lived next door so I could enjoy his insightful rambles in person. As one who enjoys the nuances of language, I recommend this quirky book. It could be useful for those who teach reading and writing courses. Another fun book by Mr. Bryson.

Worth it purely for the sarcasm.

Positively delightful. While this book is not an exhaustive list of troublesome words, especially for those who struggle with spelling, it is an absorbing read for anyone interested in the English language.
You know how some people unwind by playing CandyCrush or pretending to kill humans... I unwind by reading Bryson's.

First published in 1984 under the title 'The Penguin Dictionary of Troublesome Words', Troublesome Words is a short book of various words the are often misused. In most cases, Bryson provides examples (mainly from newspapers) of incorrect usage, before telling you how the word should be used. Mostly this is okay, but there are a few contentious descriptions. Bryson quite rightly points out many instances where common usage has changed the intended meaning of a word over time, yet ignores quite a few instances as well. With some words he is wrong in what he says - for example the word 'hanged' in which a news report of prisoner having been found 'hanged to death in his cell'. Bryson regards 'to death' as redundant, which it is not since a person can be hanged to near-strangulation - google the definition of 'hanged, drawn and quartered' for evidence of this. Bryson's definition of 'Nemesis' is vague and not as succinct as that made by Brick Top. Overall, a very interesting book from which I learned much. My favourite definition is that for 'dangling modifiers' just because it sounds funny.

This is an excellent reference book for anyone writing non-fiction. It is a dictionary for the most commonly misused words and grammatical errors. It is not free of the jargon that litters grammarian's vocabulary and that is why I gave it four stars, not five. No matter how many times I read some entries, despite Bryson's humorous additions, I failed to understand the underlying rules; proving that some rules are arbitrary and totally breakable. However, to break the rules you must first understand them.

Wow! There's so much contained between the covers of this book! Spelling is more my forte, but I'm a word nerd.