Tag archives: nuance

It’s all about the nuance – synonyms and the Oxford English Corpus

There are few words that share an exact set of definitions – it is almost a guarantee that there will be some subtle differences between one word and its synonym.  Sometimes these nuances are so subtle that they can be difficult to articulate fully in a definition, and only become apparent through examining usage. Oxford [...]

Posted on: October 5 2011 | Posted by: | Comments: 0 | Categories: Dictionaries and lexicography, English in use | Tags: , , , ,

Sesquipedalian ruminations (or, thinking about long words)

It appears to be human nature to have a fascination with long or strange words. Most people, if you care to ask them about it, have a handful of words that they consider to be favorites, and very rarely is it that anyone admits that their favorite word is ‘kite’ or ‘plant’. Rather, the words [...]

Posted on: March 31 2011 | Posted by: | Comments: 0 | Categories: English in use | Tags: , , ,