Rhc Dict-Plain

This time honored publication is by far the most complete and best desk type reference I have ever used. Not only is it complete in common usage but also includes definitions for many American Slang words not found in other dictionaries of it's type. I have bought several copies and given them to colleagues, friends and others. The response has always been unanimous in the affirmative that they are grateful and amazed at the content. When your need calls for a good general dictionary, remember this one.

* I have become somewhat of an inadvertent dictionary junky. My 17 different titles range from the Oxford English Dictionary to Black's Law Dictionary and include the electronic version of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. At one time I had to live out of my van for a while and I took the Oxford and The Random House College Dictionary with me. * The Oxford was to settle arguments (usually with myself) but the Random House was (and still is) the best for general usage. I find that it usually gives me definitions for slang and vernacular, as well as the words you would expect to find. Yet it gives sufficiently scholarly definitions that it is valuable for understanding Elizabethan era literature, such as the 1611 authorized Bible. * One of its greatest benefits is that the editors have kept word chasing to a minimum. This contrasts with sometimes having to go from definition to definition, three times or more, before finally getting what I was looking for. * That all of this, plus a modest collection of ancillary material, fits in an functionally sized book is a pleasant surprise. I highly recommend it as the sole dictionary for college students, one that needs be supplemented only by a specialized dictionary for their particular field of study.

It seems silly to review a dictionary, but I feel that this particular dictionary is the best one I've ever encountered. Obviously it is chock full of new and fabulous words and definitions- that's its purpose, after all. But I would swear by this particular dictionary because it has been there for me through all of my middle and high school years, and now I will take it to college with me. My trusty dictionary-the only one I'll use-The Random House College Dictionary Revised Edition! (Their thesaurus ain't half bad either!)