Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
easy to use and gets you thinking, January 10, 2006
I write sonnets, villanelles and song lyrics and, before I bought this book, I thought somehow that it was cheating to use rhymes that didn't come out of my own head. Well, phooey to that! Yes, I still do make a list of rhyming words first, but then I turn to this dictionary and - wow - the possiblities just open up!
Some of the reviewers caution that you have to read the instructions/introductions first in order to figure out how this book works. Well, I plunged right in; as a matter of fact, when I later read the "how to's," their terminology confused and intimidated me. Just open it up and start messing around. That's what art is all about, anyhow.
I love how the sections of rhyming words are arranged so that the one-syllable words come first, followed by the longer words. Many of the words were entirely unfamiliar to me and I was glad to have a regular ol' dictionary by my side. (I don't plan on using many of those arcane words, but those of us who love language always get a kick out a new word, eh?)
Some reviewers noted that some words are missing. But please don't get your knickers in a knot over that; there are more than enough rhyming words in here to get you past the jump-start phase. And if you, as I do, generate your own word list beforehand, you will catch anything that's missing (or you will continue on with your life in blissful ignorance). Any reference volume is fallible; I say if you see something missing, please write the publisher so the oversight can be corrected.
In short, a fun, fat and inspiring book. I am glad I decided to "cheat"!
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12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Difficult to use? No way, Jose, Andre, Clay, or Jay., March 5, 2003
By A Customer
Not sure what the other reviewers are talking about re the supposed difficulty of using this book. I find it simplicity itself. You start with the sound you want to rhyme against, starting with a vowel. For example, if the word you want to rhyme against is "brave," you go to the A's and find "ave," and there's your list. I have never read the book's instructions, and never needed them. Also, this is not just for people writing jingles and doggerel. Some real poets still rhyme, at least some of the time, old friends of mine.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This Book Is The Book For You, EmCee!!, January 20, 2005
I've long searched for a book for which I could have any rhyme possible at my fingertips. I'd searched long and hard for a rhyme dictionary that could meet my needs as an emcee.(Rapper) I've seen many before, which boast mostly about how many entries they each had. Claims have been made by some of the other rhyming dictionaries on my book shelf. Some claimed to be more comprehensive, more thorough, offer extra sections, and what have you; But the most useful among these dictionaries has been this beauty, the Merriam Webster Rhyming Dictionary. Why, do you ask? 3 words, fellow MC's, 3 words: EASE OF USE. Some of the other books spell words in their entries by how they sound. But this book arranges them phonetically, and as a plus you don't have to search through mono- and poly-syllabbic rhymes as seperate entries. What's that mean? This means that if you search under A, E, I, O, U, you'll find some simple & tight rhymes. As an example, if you look for a word under "ag", you'll find that it starts from all the words arranged from there monosyllabic forms, (ex. bag, rag, jag, sag,) followed by the bisyllabic rhymes, (ex. dirtbag, dishrag,)and so on my scallywags. It cuts through all the b.s., and goes straight to what you need, no fuss, no muss. One key feature is the cross referencing. If you can't find a word you're looking for, there are a lot of "See also, words that end in ocks, ox or some words that end with..." at the end of a lot of entries. Just many of the ways this book proves itself. If you write rhymes for the purpose of producing rap music, Then I'll tell ya, Mic Men. This is the ultimate book for you. Whether your just startin' out, or you're are already seriously packing skills, this is the book you can't possibly be with out. It is as this MC describes as "the one reference tool, that is indisputably, irrefutably, quite dutifully the best there is." Trust me. This book stings like a bee, n' floats like a butterfly!
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