Scott Bradford: Off on a Tangent

Language & Writing

A catalog of links relating to language and writing. References in this section include numerous dictionaries, thesauruses, style and usage guides, and more. Also included are dictionaries of quotations and related resources.

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DictionariesQuotationsStyle & UsageThesauruses

What are words? Here are some general English-language references that will tell you. Most are general; some are topic-specific.

  • American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
    A “record of English vocabulary as it is used by a broad and diverse group of educated speakers and writers.”
  • Dictionary.com
    The “world’s leading digital dictionary” with supplemental content for “the advanced word lover and . . . student alike.”
  • Merriam-Webster Online, Dictionary
    Main online dictionary from “America’s leading provider of language information for more than 180 years.”
  • Merriam-Webster Unabridged
    The “largest, richest dictionary of American English” for over two hundred years. Detailed etymologies included.
  • New Oxford American Dictionary
    Oxford’s “flagship American dictionary” with “the most comprehensive and accurate coverage” of American English.
  • Oxford English Dictionary
    An “unsurpassed guide” to “words and phrases across the English-speaking world.” Detailed etymology included.
  • Urban Dictionary
    A largely uncensored, often obscene reference to slang, jargon, and things you don’t find in normal dictionaries.
  • Wiktionary
    A “a collaborative project to produce a free-content multilingual dictionary” in English. Also includes etymology and thesaurus.

I love a good quote, but stop making up attributions. Do your research. Here are some good places.

  • Oxford Dictionary of Quotations
    The “most authoritative dictionary of quotations” with “the wit and wisdom of past and present.”
  • Oxford Essential Quotations
    The “most popular and widely used quotations” assembled and verified by Oxford University Press.
  • Quote Investigator
    A website recording “the investigatory work of Garson O’Toole who diligently seeks the truth about quotations.”
  • Wikiquote
    A “free online compendium of sourced quotations from notable people and creative works in every language.”

General references about English style and usage. Learn the rules so you know when to break them.

Guides marked with this symbol should be used with caution.

The authors of the AP, APA, and MLA styles encourage authors to use obtuse or misleading language in the name of “avoiding bias.” Writers should, of course, avoid unnecessary offense, but being truthful is more important. It is better to write an offensive truth than an inoffensive lie.

The AP style also advises authors to omit the serial (or “Oxford”) comma in most lists. This is a pointless, archaic rule. Its only effect is to make writing less clear.

At times you possess a term, but you demand a variant rendition. A credible thesaurus can supply a conclusion to this dilemma.

  • Merriam-Webster Online, Thesaurus
    An “indispensable English language reference” with “millions of synonyms, similar words, and antonyms.”
  • Pocket Oxford American Thesaurus
    A thesaurus that “stands on the shoulders of the colossal Oxford English Corpus.”
  • Thesaurus.com
    The “premier thesaurus on the web” with “over 550,000 synonyms and a suite of tools that simplify the writing process.”
  • Wiktionary
    A “a collaborative project to produce a free-content multilingual dictionary” in English. Also includes etymology and thesaurus.

Scott Bradford is a writer and technologist who has been putting his opinions online since 1995. He believes in three inviolable human rights: life, liberty, and property. He is a Catholic Christian who worships the trinitarian God described in the Nicene Creed. Scott is a husband, nerd, pet lover, and AMC/Jeep enthusiast with a B.S. degree in public administration from George Mason University.