In Other Words

My Favorite Reference Book, in other words, My Esteemed, Beloved, Cherished Tome of Synonyms and Alterative Verbiage

In 1962 my mother presented me with a book that was to remain my faithful companion for over fifty years. It was then that my life-long love affair with words began. As a sophomore in high school, using the book, I wrote a winning essay for The Veterans of Foreign Wars. When I mispronounced several words as I read my entry aloud at the awards banquet, I’m sure the members thought someone else had written the essay. The voice was mine but the words were Roget’s; the meanings I knew, the pronunciations—not so much. 

Today the battered book sits close to my computer within easy reach as I spend an inordinate amount of time looking for exactly the right word for an article. I’ve tried to replace the dilapidated original with newer versions claiming to be user-friendly and updated. Rodale's, Synonym Finder, Webster’s, Oxford, and–perish the thought thesaurus.com.  Flirting with these impostors proved to me that new isn’t always better. All proved to be poor substitutes for my first love. Forsaking all others, my loyalty lies with Roget.