The Lexicon: A Cornucopia of Wonderful Words for the Inquisitive Word Lover (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Those who find their equanimity challenged by the lucubrations of William F. Buckley Jr. will surely see their torpor evanesce after reading The Lexicon. Monosyllabically: if it bugs you when you read words you don't know, this book will help. Buckley is renowned (and sometimes unfairly reviled) for his extensive working vocabulary, from which he unerringly picks the right word for every occasion. The Lexicon is a pocket guide to his esoterica with several hundred entries, each concisely defined and accompanied by an example of its use from his writings, which is quite a handy feature. For example:

lucubrate (verb) To discourse learnedly in writing.
Under the Eisenhower program, one could lucubrate over constitutional rights and freedoms and forever abandon captured American soldiers.

It is a sign of his skill as a writer that the book may be read for pleasure. Illustrations by Arnold Roth add to the enjoyment, making this the perfect introduction to Buckleyian erudition. --Rob Lightner

From Library Journal

Buckley is a wordsmith extraordinaire, his speech and writing regularly peppered with arcane vocabulary. This book, previously published as part of Buckley's linguistic compendium, The Right Word (LJ 12/96), brings together a list of his favorite words, each with a citation from one of his many published works. Words like epigone, nugatory, and rodomontade will stretch the frontiers of most readers' vocabulary, and the illustrations by Arnold Roth are a perfect accompaniment to the text. This would be a great choice for students studying for the SATs or for anyone who loves language?it's certainly more useful, and more fun, than those word-a-day calendars. Highly recommended for all collections.?Lisa J. Cihlar, Monroe P.L., WI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books; 1 edition (October 15, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156006162
• ISBN-13: 978-0156006163
• Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 4.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #21,641 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic book for word lovers, July 24, 2000

By	Michael J. Tyson (San Angelo, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This is THE book to have if you love English. There are wonderful examples of each word included. It's nice little size make it easy to take with you. The only reason it didn't get five stars from me is that it lacks the pronunciation of each word. Some you can guess, others, well, you better have a good dictionary on hand!

36 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Word of the Day Webmaster Cautiously Recommends, July 29, 2001

By	Steven Fantina (Phillipsburg, NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When it comes to the English language William F. Buckley is an epicurean extraordinaire and "The Lexicon" is a must for any committed logophile. Still a few caveats must be undulated

Some of the words included are as quizzical as some of those that are omitted. Alphabetically, the reference runs from "abattoir" to "xenophobia"--which seems a strange place to stop. Why there is no inclusion of "yokefellow" or "yaw" nor "zaftig" or "zeitgeist" is enigmatic at best. A second anomaly is that certain definitions differ from what is found my copy of "Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary." Mr. Buckley identifies "promulgate" as "to issue a new law or regulation;" Webster's definition says "to make known by open declaration...(or) to set forth or teach publicly." For "synecdoche" Mr. Buckley offers "the single example in place of the whole; the one for the many." Webster is more encompassing with "a figure of speech in which the part is used for the whole or the whole for a part." Webster's says that "kedge" means "to wrap or pull...(or) a small anchor," while Buckley's related but contrasting explanation reads "to anchor securely." As with ALL vocabulary sources, check the definition in a dictionary before using the word!

While not terribly detrimental Mr. Buckley pleonastically includes more than one form of several words. The use of both "intrinsic" and "intrinsically," "mollify" and mollifying," "invidious" and "invidiously," "stultification and stultifying" among many other double versions comes across as a rebarbative padding device--completely unnecessary in a collection this tumescent.

While the incorporation of words such as "salient," "levity," "obtrude," "junket" and a handful of other less than exotic choices is debatable, the assumption that some readers will be unacquainted with them is not quixotic. However, selecting "plainspoken" for placement within such a gallimaufry is truly outlandish. It seems highly doubtful that anyone unfamiliar with such a quotidian word would have the need for such an abstruse vocabulary primer.

Despite these minor to moderate drawbacks, this book is unreservedly recommended for those interested in elevating their speaking prowess. For three years I have been operating a "Word of the Day" email service/webpage (sent me a message if you wish to join) and "The Lexicon" boasted a plethora of specimens that I had never before encountered. So while all my above comments are valid, they are nugatory distractions compared to the numinous lagniappes that can be acquired from a perusal or two.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great book, but..., October 9, 2008

By	Sunner Magoo "Sunner Magoo" (Sacramento, CA) - See all my reviews

Ok great book, great man, incredible and renowned command of the English language, but what in the WORLD was he thinking by not adding the PRONUNCIATIONS????? GROAN. Terrible oversight. Almost hard to believe this could be overlooked. This book would have been a BIBLE of sorts to me if it showed pronunciations. Now I am forced to go look up the pronunciation every time I find a new word I like. Sigh.