'Words are stubborn little fuckers.' Kory Stamper
English is always growing, changing, and moving in unpredictable ways – yet at the same time maintaining centuries-old conventions. It can be baffling to even the most seasoned writers and hawk-eyed editors. The following books are the best roadmaps I’ve found for navigating both writing and editing in English.
4. The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary
‘The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary is the first large-scale English dictionary especially prepared for New Zealand users.’
Every writer and editor needs a trustworthy dictionary as their guide, and mine is the NZ Oxford. For those of you in the US, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is tops, and I use it for American editing projects. I love their website, which is continuously updated and free to use. But back to NZ Oxford – for those of you based in Aotearoa, it’s the gold standard, especially for answering tricky hyphenation questions that America, Australia, the UK, and New Zealand all disagree on!
3. Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper
‘ALL words are made-up: Do you think we find them fully formed on the ocean floor, or mine from them in some remote part of Wales?’
Kory Stamper is a lexicographer for Merriam-Webster whose love of the English language is contagious. She changed the way I think about dictionaries. While this technically isn’t a usage guide, it’s a delightful read for anyone who works with words. I loved the insider look at what goes in to writing a dictionary and was surprised by the controversies that find their way into Stamper’s inbox. Who knew lexicography could be so scandalous?
2. The Elements of Style (Illustrated) by William Strunk, EB White, and Maira Kalman
‘Writers will often find themselves steering by stars that are disturbingly in motion.’
Strunk & White is an old-school style guide for American English writing. Though it was first published in 1920 and some of its conventions are outdated, it still holds up. There’s a lot of hard-earned wisdom packed into this slim volume. I love the slightly cantankerous tone of Strunk & White. You can tell it comes from a deep love of the English language – as in ‘writers: treat this beautiful thing with care’ – rather than a place of arrogance. Maira Kalman’s illustrations and the playful internal design make it more fun and easier to read than earlier editions.
1. Dreyer’s English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer
‘We all write, all the time: books, blogs, tweets, emails, emails, emails – and we all want to write better. Benjamin Dreyer is here to help.’
He really does help. As a chief copy editor at Random House in New York with long list of legendary clients, he’s seen it all. Dreyer’s sense of humour and warmth make this book a surprising page-turner, and it’s the most approachable technical guide to style and usage that I’ve read so far. He has strong opinions on the Oxford comma, but he’s right.
Bonus round:
Bryson’s Dictionary for Writers and Editors by Bill Bryson
I laughed a lot and learned a lot reading this book. Bryson has done a tremendous amount of research finding (and remedying) English usage blunders and the misspellings of troublesome words. This book is a comprehensive selection of head-scratchers that includes capitalisation, plurals, abbreviations, and foreign names. Bryson also includes differences between British and American usages, as well as random information you never knew you needed, like the correct spelling of Brobdingnag.
Fowler’s Modern English Usage, edited by RW Burchfield
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Fowler, which has been considered the go-to reference for English usage questions since it was first published in 1926. The revised fourth edition covers both British and American English usage issues, as well as the English of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.
The Subversive Copy Editor: Advice from Chicago by Carol Fisher Saller
This was required reading in my publishing course (for good reason). Saller is funny, candid, and thorough in answering the many questions that writers send to her at the University of Chicago Press. Her tips on Microsoft Word shortcuts (find-and-replace wizardry) are priceless for editors and writers alike. The chapters on battles between writers and editors were entertaining, and her sage advice will prove useful to anyone charged with the sometimes perilous task of improving the writing of others.
Rebel With a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian by Ellen Jovin
When Ellen Jovin first walked outside her Manhattan apartment building and set up a folding table with a GRAMMAR TABLE sign, it took about thirty seconds to get her first visitor. Everyone had a question for her. The Grammar Table was such a hit that Jovin soon took it on the road – traveling across America to answer questions from writers, lawyers, editors, businesspeople, students, bickering couples, and anyone else who uses words. Her advice is light-hearted, friendly, and easy to remember.
Still perplexed about sticky usage issues like the DL on dashes, the complexities of commas, or the slipperiness of the semicolon? Get in touch to book a free discovery call: sophie@wisewordsediting.com.
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