Word Menu

We all get into ruts, surrounded by the time-proven, the known. I was in a rut, surrounded by my old dictionaries, my French and Spanish dictionaries, my Roget's Thesaurus, and Rodale's Synonym Finder. Then, recently I bought the new Encarta World English Dictionary and discovered new words from around the world added to the English lexicon.

So, while visiting my local bookstore, I decided to look for the new and exciting additions to the reference section. And I found something very exciting, if not so new. It was first published in 1992 and revised in 1997. I don't know what I have done without it. As a writer, this book is an invaluable resource.

Word Menu by the late Stephen Glazier is a book of words for our fast-paced society. I don't think one should throw out the other dictionaries or word reference books, but this book should definitely be added as an integral part of a reference collection. You can find what you need so quickly.

Glazier created a new classification system for language and information. Instead of following the classification system of Roget which was designed in the mid 1850s and moves in hierarchical fashion from the general to the specific with philosophical categories, Glazier frames his book in the natural, contemporary world. This English word reference is organized by subject matter, including: nature, science and technology, domestic life, institutions, arts and leisure, language and the human condition, from the general to the specific.

An example in the preface states: "The categories are arranged in a logical structure that runs from the general - The Human Body, or Leisure and Recreation - to the specific - the Reproductive System, or Stringed Instruments."

Flipping through the book, I found 35 references in the coats and jackets section, such as blazer, bolero, cardigan, dolman, Eton jacket, frock coat, Mao jacket, shell jacket, shrug, and swallow-tailed coat. Each has a short definition, but this book won't replace your dictionary as it does not include pronunciations of words, etymologies, and usage notes.

However, if you are a crossword enthusiast, its reverse dictionary function will be helpful. In the preface it states "for example, a seven-letter word beginning with m for "a large, broad-bladed knife" would lead you to the list of Blades, Clubs, and Projectiles under the category Weapons and Armaments, where you would find the word, machete."

The table of contents includes: The Human Body, Living Things, The Earth, The Sciences, Technology, Transportation, The Home, The Family, Eating, Clothing, Social Order, The Economy, Social Sciences, Fine Arts and Literature, Performing Arts, Applied Arts, Leisure and Recreation, Structure and Usage, Action and Sense Words, Common Expressions, Foreign Expressions, Character and Behavior, Cognition, The Dark Side, and Faith.

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