I can hear the groans from miles away! A review on a dictionary? What is this girl thinking? Well, I sometimes need to know things but I'm not exactly sure where to start. Granted, the Reverse Dictionary was way cooler before the advent of the internet. But even now, it's still very handy.
For example, if I'm trying to think of a ballet term, a type of cake, parts of a castle, or types of fabric, it's all in there. There's even a picture of an internal combustion engine complete with associated parts labeled.
In short, it's a writer's dream.I've got the 1990 version, so it's old, but most of what I'm looking up isn't dated. I used it once to look for all of the types of pastries.
There's a two page side-bar on clothes. If I need a worsted trench coat, I can use the word Burberry. A monk's sleeveless cloak is called a scapular. Now, I may never need to know these things, but then again, maybe one day I'll be looking for a very specific word. And when I do, this is where I'll look.
I'm very fond of this dictionary. The Oxford does a fine dictionary and I know I've got a Webster's around here and they're great for spelling or figuring out the exact definition of a word, but the Reverse Dictionary is more than a dictionary. And if you need to find the perfect word to describe a color or clothing or architecture, then this is the book for you.
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