Based on Webster's Third International Dictionary, this desk dictionary reflects the descriptive philosophy of the parent volume. The dictionary lists upwards of 150,000 entries and emphasizes contemporary pronunciation, meaning and use. This is one of the finest mid-sized dictionaries available and should be in every collection at every level.

We all know the basics of punctuation. Or do we? A look at most neighborhood signage tells a different story. Through sloppy usage and low standards on the internet, in email, and now text messages, we have made proper punctuation an endangered species. In Eats, Shoots & Leaves, former editor Lynne Truss dares to say, in her delightfully urbane, witty, and very English way, that it is time to look at our commas and semicolons and see them as the wonderful...

"Discover why grammar is important, the parts of speech, the simple sentence, and the importance of punctuation and proofreading"--Provided by publisher.

"When President Obama signed the affordable health care act in 2009, the Vice President was overheard to utter an enthusiastic "This is a big f****** deal!" A town in Massachusetts levies $20 fines on swearing in public. Nothing is as paradoxical as our attitude toward swearing and "bad language": how can we judge profanity so harshly in principle, yet use it so frequently in practice? Though profanity is more acceptable today than ever, it is still...