Right Words: A Guide to English usage in Australia

In 'Right Words' we now have an authoritative guide to current Australian usage of the English language.

Stephen Murray-Smith recognises that language is always changing; he welcomes the developments that contribute to meaning, but strives to conserve the best of what we have.

With wit and erudition he leads us through the tangle of alternative spellings, difficult pronunciations, quotations, misquotations and confused meanings. He explain the terminology of real estate agents. He sets out clearly the basic rules of grammar and punctuation.

In longer entries he discusses and gives guidance on issues such as sexism in language. Particularly valuable is the pairing of words likely to be confused such as compose and comprise, flaunt and flout.

Lively humour and the occasional personal quirk make 'Right Words' ideal for bed-time browsing, but it's main value is as an indispensable reference work.