Burnstein, Eli. Dictionary of Fine Distinctions Nuances, Niceties, and Subtle Shades of Meaning. Union Square & Co., 2024. (Libby | Proquest)

Total = 108 (including Introduction, Foreword, or Preface and the final Copyright vs. Trademark)

Cover
Title
Copyright
Contents
Introduction, Foreword, or Preface
Emoji vs. Emoticon
Symphony vs. Concerto
Deep Web vs. Dark Web
Great Britain vs. United Kingdom
Envy vs. Jealousy
Bay vs. Gulf vs. Cove
Latte vs. Flat White vs. Cappuccino vs. Cortado
Assume vs. Presume
Accuracy vs. Precision
Ethics vs. Morality
Tights vs. Leggings vs. Pantyhose vs. Stockings
First Cousin vs. Once Removed
Shame vs. Guilt
Autocrat vs. Despot vs. Tyrant vs. Dictator
Typeface vs. Font
Snitch vs. Rat
Epigram vs. Aphorism vs. Maxim vs. Adage vs. Proverb
Natural Numbers vs. Integers vs. Rational Numbers vs. Real Numbers
Squash vs. Racquetball
Flail vs. Mace vs. Morning Star
Kitsch vs. Camp
Amp vs. Volt vs. Watt
Cardinal Number vs. Ordinal Number
Sorbet vs. Sherbet
Convince vs. Persuade
Catapult vs. Trebuchet
Goblin vs. Ogre vs. Troll
Porch vs. Deck vs. Veranda vs. Patio
Club Soda vs. Sparkling Water vs. Seltzer
Hermit vs. Anchorite
Maze vs. Labyrinth
All-Wheel Drive (AWD) vs. Four-Wheel Drive (4WD)
Robbery vs. Burglary
Spear vs. Javelin vs. Lance vs. Pike
Dinner vs. Supper
Parable vs. Fable
Continental US vs. Contiguous US
Shotgun House vs. Railroad Apartment
UI vs. UX
Combination vs. Permutation
Balcony vs. Terrace
Speedometer vs. Odometer
Blank Verse vs. Free Verse
Crypt vs. Catacomb
Lager vs. Ale
Lattice vs. Trellis
Oxford English Dictionary (OED) vs. Oxford Dictionary of English (ODE)
Gala vs. Ball
JPEG vs. PNG
Joint vs. Spliff
Missile vs. Torpedo
Lute vs. Lyre
Strategy vs. Tactics
Rational vs. Reasonable
Irony vs. Sarcasm
Doula vs. Midwife
Farm vs. Ranch
Hue vs. Tint vs. Shade vs. Tone
Pier vs. Quay vs. Wharf
Ponzi Scheme vs. Pyramid Scheme
Ristorante vs. Trattoria vs. Osteria
Clementine vs. Tangerine vs. Mandarin
Jargon vs. Slang
Stock vs. Bond
Stock vs. Broth
Harbor vs. Port vs. Marina
Thicket vs. Grove
Grammar vs. Syntax
Hay vs. Straw
4/4 Time vs. 2/2 Time
Verbal Irony vs. Dramatic Irony
Deadlift vs. Romanian Deadlift
Gully vs. Ravine vs. Gorge vs. Canyon
Civil Law vs. Common Law
Street vs. Boulevard vs. Avenue vs. Road
Pasture vs. Meadow
Parody vs. Satire
EST vs. EDT vs. ET
Modernity vs. Modernism
Fusilli vs. Rotini
Mesa vs. Butte
Phrase vs. Clause
Wicker vs. Rattan
Flotsam vs. Jetsam
Crumble vs. Crisp vs. Cobbler
Hansom vs. Barouche vs. Stagecoach vs. Troika
Stadium vs. Arena
Pidgin vs. Creole
Crew Cut vs. Brush Cut vs. Buzz Cut
Sleet vs. Hail
Slapstick vs. Screwball
Electric vs. Electronic
Satin vs. Sateen
Valid vs. Sound
Couch vs. Sofa
Monk vs. Friar
Kink vs. Fetish
Pronunciation vs. Enunciation
Hors d’Oeuvre vs. Canapé
Umlaut vs. Dieresis
Tremolo vs. Vibrato
Gondola vs. Funicular
Schlemiel vs. Schlimazel
Poisonous vs. Venomous
Swamp vs. Marsh vs. Bog
Beautiful vs. Sublime
Notes
Acknowledgements
Copyright vs. Trademark

I heard about this book on the Grammar Girl podcast (episode announcement) and immediately put a hold on the title at my library. I got it today. I’m loving it! The table of contents should pique you all to read it!

I love the art of digital letter writing (AoDLW)! It’s not the same as ephemeral email. (You do archive your important email, don’t you?) My handwriting is poor (a disability of being left-handed), but I still enjoy breaking out the fountain pen every so often and committing words to paper in my ugly (but unique and personal) script. Script isn’t even taught in all elementary schools anymore. May I live long enough to see that trend reversed! Many cultures know the value of communicating with one’s hands. Not all people have the ability to write with their hands, but for the able-bodied, typing is not what it means to be fully human.

Here’s the first rule of digital letter writing: No TOFU (“Text Over, Fullquote Under”). A letter should stand alone. Most mail apps add TOFU by default. Delete it before sending. Email has meta-data that automatically “threads” replies, anyway. Making every letter stand on its own is more challenging than continuing to top-post replies. It’s good to think about style. For daily email—and even for informal letters—TOFU helps keep the entire conversation in one place. But I find it liberating to write without TOFU. I can associate freely, and I can choose how much context to include.

There is a risk that the letter writer won’t include enough context, and the recipient will have to review previous correspondence. Again, that’s what email “threads” are for. Also, don’t give up the ancient tradition of saving correspondence for future reference. (I Twittered about letter-writing a long time ago [1of2, 2of2]). Before email, I made photocopies of my letters. Before photocopies, we used carbon paper, and before that people had to copy letters by hand before sending. Not all practiced such discipline, and more’s the pity. Note that we have Thomas Jefferson’s correspondence because he made copies of all the letters he sent. Jefferson (not counting his flaws) is one of my heroes. (And Clay Jenkinson is also my hero because he brings Jefferson to life through chautauqua. But I digress.) So the second rule of letter writing is: Archive your correspondence!

I’ve seen the difference that social media makes regarding the AoDLW. Letters in the past century were normally the main way people communicated at a distance. Some might catch up (or get to know a pen pal more closely) with long distance phone calls. But unless they actually met face to face, their lives were relatively isolated. Now it’s so easy to stay in touch. Some would say it’s too easy, but just because it’s easy shouldn’t mean one should settle for shallow. Samuel Johnson wrote, “A short letter to a distant friend is, in my opinion, an insult like that of a slight bow or cursory salutation;—a proof of unwillingness to do much, even where there is a necessity of doing something.” But Johnson didn’t have email. The third rule is: Buy time by sending a note or SMS.

It is also common to send “newsletters” to multiple recipients, and I would argue that’s also a good use of technology. I loved writing annual letters to include with Christmas cards (writer’s block since my mom died, but that doesn’t distract from the principle), and I love getting the same from friends and family. It’s more challenging to write to an audience larger than one. Those letters can inspire personal correspondence, phone calls and face to face visits, though. I myself now have twenty years of snapshots of family life that gives me great enjoyment to share (reminisce) with my now-grown children and grandchildren.

Finally, to my readers with whom I am behind in correspondence: Please forgive me. Time is more precious than gold these days. May we all live long enough to see that destructive trend reversed! I believe technology makes us more efficient with only a minor cost to our humanity. Txt me or DM me on Twitter (tbc0) if you’d like to chat!

Let’s get this project going together! I’m eager to hear how you practice the art of digital letter writing.

The author of this post is Tim Chambers 1E4AF729D5CEFFD0 aka tbc0. I first published this on the now-defunct Posterous. I am pleased with how well it reads now (ten years later.) I made light edits from the version I published today at post.news (link).

I am, of course, indebted to Lewis Carroll.

The gehjak flicked her jomces kelj
To the sprytlsm prytlsm wurhd.
While a jakl did flamvl
And skiemn crbytn
With jevms in lamfaj
To wilfe the mudkuite kumlimly.
Then a smieop did shahml for fmepav pavbnzls
By oomxslamfah anknlaladi.
Swiirumamb, swiirumamb
Kabnpoiumafnhaku.
Kabnpoiumafnhaku that!

The tweet that inspired it: twitter.com/tbc0/status/1483160392629035008

Pronounced:
The GEE-jak flicked her JOM-sees kelj
To the SPRITTLE-some PRITTLE-some word.
While a jakl did flamvl
And SKEE-min CRUH-bitten
With JEV-ums in LAM-faj
To WILL-fee the MUD-kite come-LIMLY.
Then a SMEE-op did shamel [rhymes with camel] for FMEE-pav pav-BUNZUHLS
By oomks-LAM-fuh ankh-LAH-luh-dee.
Swee-ROO-mamb, swee-ROO-mamb
KAA-bin-poy-MAF-nah-koo.
KAA-bin-poy-MAF-nah-koo that.

Image credit: labs.openai.com/s/g8JRvNH6c03bGaXqhIcQsqnJ

a10n = abbreviation
A11l = American Idol
A31e = A goal is a dream with a deadline
a7d = abandoned
am9n = amortization
B10e = Bitcoin Core
b18r = brick & mortar store
b20r = better late than never
b7h = bandwidth
b8n = blockchain
c10n = conversation
c11n = communication
c11s = consciousness
c11y = cybersecurity
c12e = cancel culture
c13y = crypto-currency aka crypto currency
c14k = commonplace book #commonplacebook
c20s = critical path analysis
c5t = correct
c6y = category
c7y = community
c8ed = categorized
c8n = connection
c8s = categories
c9d = credit card
c9g = calendaring (gerund)
c9s = communities
d10e = decentralize
d10er = decentralizer
d12e = data warehouse
d12n = documentation
d12r = display driver
d13y = declare victory
d14n = decentralization
d14y = declared victory
d15y = declaring victory
d20n = difficult conversation, compare with e20n
d24t = disembodied soulless robot
d32k = decentralized social media network
d37y = distributed and self-sovereign identity
d5y = display
d6e = database
d7d = dashboard
D8h = Ducksearch
d8n = discussion
d8y = dependency
d9p = desktop app
e11e = email archive
e12t = expense report
e15t = earth environment
E25t = Excel Number Stored as Text
e6s = emphasis
e7e = emphasize
e7t = excellent
e9n = emphasis on
E9o = Excel macro
f10n = fountain pen
f11e = facial tissue (generic Kleenex)
F13l = Facebook Portal
F14e = Firefox Lockwise
f15g = found by Googling
f5d = factoid
G10e = Google Drive
g10r = get-together
G10s = Google Books
G11s = Google Sheets
G13e = Google Timeline
G13r = Google Calendar
G13s = Google Contacts
G14e = Google Translate
G14t = Google Assistant
g15e = glowing rectangle
G22r = Google Calendar reminder
G27g = Gmail plussed user addressing
G6I4s = Google Images
G6P4s = Google Photos
G8c = Google Doc
G8ps = Google Maps
G9ce = Godincidence
G9ks = Google Tasks
G9s = Google Docs, different use from G8cs
h10s = hearing aids
h18f = hashtag note to self (#noteToSelf)
i10n = interruption
i12n = implementation
I14e = Internet Archive
i7n = ibuprofen
i7w = interview
i7y = inventory
i9g = interesting
i9t = improvement
l18y = learning opportunity
L21r = Lady Chatterley’s Lover
l24r = longer-than-I-can-remember
M12d = Microsoft Word
M12e = Microsoft Edge
m13g = mountain biking
M13h = MySQL Workbench
M13o = Microsoft To Do
M15e = Microsoft Surface
M15s = Microsoft Windows; considered W5s, but this is better
m17r = mysterious behavior
M18p = Messages Android app
M18t = Microsoft SharePoint
M20b = Microsoft Feedback Hub
m24e = measure twice and cut once
M7t = Microsoft
m8p = membership
m9e = maintenance aka maint
n10n = notification as it pertains to computer and phone i10ns, including the less-intrusive methods
n8g = networking
n8h = next month
o10n = organization
O11e = Orange Menace
o12s = organize notes
o17s = open-investigations
o6e = organize
o8g = organizing
o9y = opportunity
p10n = presentation
p10y = productivity
p12n = prioritization
p13l = private channel
p13n = procrastination
P13y = Pandemic Legacy
p18t = preparing to restart
p19y = personal productivity
p21g = plussed user addressing
p23n = planning & prioritization
p6d = password
p6g = planning
p6y = priority
p7on = production
p7ze = prioritize
p8a = phantosmia
p8e = productive
p8s = priorities
p9e = performance
P9e = Pivot Table
pa7e = passphrase
r10p = relationship
r11y = recommended by
r12n = reconciliation
R12r = Radical Candor
R14r = Windows 10 Resource Monitor
r14s = reasonable guess
r6g = reading
r6ing = restarting
r7g = recycling
r8g = recruiting
s10a = social media (better than SoMe or qqSoMe)
s11n = splash screen
S14o = Satoshi Nakamoto
s15g = social networking
S15M = Slack personal DM—where one can talk to oneself
S19l = Slack private channel
s19n = system administration
S21r = South Dakota v. Wayfair
s21s = stream of consciousness
s24n = structured procrastination
s6n = solution or soln
s8t = screenshot
s9e = screenshare
s9t = spreadsheet
s9y = serendipity
Skif18m = Skif’s Internet Theorem
T10r = Task Manager (Windows 10)
t10t = talked about
T11m = Texas hold’em
T11r = The Moviegoer by W10y
T14r = The Jesus Prayer
t15g = tactical planning
t19s = total billable hours
t6w = tomorrow
t7e = test case
T87h25 = The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth. 25th anniversary ed.
t8e = transcribe
t8n = transition
u11d = uncategorized
v10r = vertical bar because it’s hard to search on ‘|'
v11n = visualization
v12n = virtualization
W10 = Windows 10
W10y = Walker Percy
W12m = Wilhelm scream
W13e = Wayback Machine
w14n = we have moved on
W15t = Windows Spotlight
y7y = yesterday

Image copied from techcompose.com/internationalization-i18n-in-ruby-on-rails/