100 Words To Make You Sound Smart [Paperback]

Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 061871488X | ISBN-13: 978-0618714889 | Publication Date: October 4, 2006 | Edition: 1

The newest title in the popular 100 Words series is an informative and entertaining resource that can help anyone be right on the money when looking for words that will make a point, seal the deal, or just keep folks listening. Chosen by the editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries, these words will appeal to anyone who wants to be a more compelling communicator—as a worker, consumer, advocate, friend, dinner companion, or even as a romantic prospect.

The book includes a colorful variety of words, including handy words of just one syllable (such as glib) and words derived from the names of famous people (such as Freudian slip and Machiavellian).
There are expressions from popular culture (Catch-22) and words that date back to classical civilization (spartan and stoic). Each word is clearly defined and shown in context with quotations from contemporary sources: magazines, newspapers, broadcast media, movies, and television. For many words, quotations from distinguished authors and speakers are also given and word histories are explained.

Like its predecessors in this successful series, 100 Words to Make You Sound Smart provides an affordable and enjoyable way to communicate more effectively. It offers the coveted gift of gab to anyone who needs to “say it right”—and to anyone who wants to sound more articulate.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries and of other reference titles published by Houghton Mifflin Company are trained lexicographers with a varied array of interests and expertise. Most of the editors hold graduate degrees and have studied at least one foreign language. Several have degrees in linguistics or in the history of the English language. Others have degrees in science or sometimes other disciplines. All the editors familiarize themselves with the vocabulary in specific subject areas, collect materials on new developments and usage, and work in association with consultants to ensure that the content of our publications is as accurate and as up-to-date as possible.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; 1 edition (October 4, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 061871488X
• ISBN-13: 978-0618714889
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,880 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #2 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Words & Language > Etymology
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Words & Language > Vocabulary, Slang, & Word Lists
  • #24 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Words & Language > Vocabulary

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Is Fun!, October 26, 2006

By 

Peter Thomas Senese - Author. ""A book is... (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Words To Make You Sound Smart (Paperback)

Words are fun, entertaining, and educational! And that is what '100 Words To Make You Sound Smart' is all about folks. I have purposefully never reviewed a reference title, but this was simply to good to pass up. The editors of American Heritage Dictionaries really did a nice job here in selecting interesting, useful words that can and are used in our day-to-day vocabulary.

Each specific word was easily defined and placed into a useful context for readers to understand. Quoting from an assortment of sources including movies, television, magazines, and newspapers, it was fun to explore new words and to reacquaint myself with some old friends.

I have a suggestion for anyone interested: next time you're taking a road trip with someone you like, take this little diddy with you . . . and have some fun!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gateway to Learning HUGE Words, October 9, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: 100 Words To Make You Sound Smart (Paperback)

I recently got this book at my elementary school's book fair, and I was sucked into it immediately. I love to learn big words and impress my peers. I also adore writing, and now that I have this book, I can use the vocabulary in my stories. My dream is to be in the Scripp's National Spelling Bee, and these are the type of words given to contestants. I reccomend this book to anyone who had a love for reading and most of all, spelling to impress!

27 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Words, words, words, December 7, 2006

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 100 Words To Make You Sound Smart (Paperback)

True, these 100 words in the book may make me sound smart, but I wonder if I use them in writing to the eighth-grade-reading-level public, will I make them feel stupid?

A book I read recently said that we are to write to that reading level, not because our reader's ability, but because today people are sssssoooooo busy and stressed they don't want to take the time to read "harder," higher-level words.

I was thrilled that a writer/editor of other people's words, I knew every single one. So now let's see how many of those 100 words I can use in a sentence (do I need a hobby, or what?)

The lurid (explicit/vivid) paradox (contradict) is insidious (treacherous), making me peevish (irritable) in that it is Spartan (simple manner) and without stigma (disgrace), but is also stoic (show no emotion), ostentatious (pretentious), and fastidious (attention to detail)--a dichotomy (divided into two parts) that is a red herring (draws attention from matter at hand) that is 100 percent non sequitur (does not follow logically).

So there. Writers and readers, if you can catch an idiosyncratic word (peculiar to a specific group), write me at P.O. Box _____.

Armchair Interviews says: The 100 Words That Make You Sound Smart would be a fun gift for anyone, including you--because anything that can make you sound smart can't be all bad. You think?