Garner's Usage Tip of the Day: thesaurus.

Garner’s Usage Tip of the Day: thesaurus.

thesaurus. The plurals “thesauruses” and “thesauri” occur with equal frequency. The homegrown “thesauruses” is probably better — e.g.: o “In addition, there are the computerized thesauruses included in most word-processing programs.” Leslie T. Sharpe & Irene Gunther, Editing Fact and Fiction 204 (1994). o “Thesauruses also increased in popularity, rising from 22nd in terms of numbers of adult purchasers in 1994, to 10th last year.” Debbie Davies, “Mapping Out the Best of the Books,” Independent, 31 May 1997, at 19. Language-Change Index — “thesauruses”: Stage 5. For information about the Language-Change Index click here. ——————– Quotation of the Day: “It is fun to play the game of synonyms. Young writers sometimes buy a thesaurus and revel in the riches that it offers. What they have yet to discover is that no two words have precisely the same meaning, and that the practical value of a book of synonyms lies mainly in saving time for a writer who already understands the distinctions but cannot on the instant call to mind the uniquely appropriate term.” Ellsworth Barnard, English for Everybody 84 (1979).

Live seminars this year with Professor Bryan A. Garner: Advanced Legal Writing & Editing

Attend the most popular CLE seminar of all time. More than 215,000 people—including lawyers, judges, law clerks, and paralegals—have benefited since the early 1990s. You'll learn the keys to professional writing and acquire no-nonsense techniques to make your letters, memos, and briefs more powerful.

You'll also learn what doesn't work and why—know-how gathered through Professor Garner's unique experience in training lawyers at the country's top law firms, state and federal courts, government agencies, and Fortune 500 companies.

Professor Garner gives you the keys to make the most of your writing aptitude—in letters, memos, briefs, and more. The seminar covers five essential skills for persuasive writing:

framing issues that arrest the readers' attention;
cutting wordiness that wastes readers' time;
using transitions deftly to make your argument flow;
quoting authority more effectively; and
tackling your writing projects more efficiently.

He teaches dozens of techniques that make a big difference. Most important, he shows you what doesn't work—and why—and how to cultivate skillfulness.

Have you wanted to bring Professor Garner to teach your group? Contact us at info@lawprose.org for more information about in-house seminars.