Annoying habit. (Plus a useful resource.)

10 replies
Hey Copywriters,

Quick idea.

When I do a consult or I'm writing or dictating copy, sometimes I catch myself saying "... what's the word?..."

Candidly, it annoys me to no end.

Maybe this happens to you. Like the word is on the tip of your tongue and that one word would oh so make the difference to the piece.

Now I do have a few thesauruses I use, and yes, there are others available online, but let me share my favorite.

It's the one I turn to first:

Get yourself a copy of "The Synonym Finder." By J.I. Rodale.

Yes, it's from THE Rodale Press. The largest, most comprehensive thesaurus in print. It's like $15 on Amazon. Maybe less if used. A bargain.

When you start using it on a daily basis, you can bet your copywriting world will shift.

If you're a copywriter, new or experienced, it will punch up your copy big time.

- Rick Duris

PS: Mark Twain said it best:

"The difference between almost right word and the right word is really a large matter--it's the difference between a lightning bug and lightning."
#annoying #copywriting #habit #resource #thesaurus
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  • Profile picture of the author Iconik
    Thanks for unselfishly recommending a resource that
    has made a difference in your writing, Rick.

    I've added it to my Amazon wishlist and will pick it up
    the next time I place an order. Got about 50 books
    on my wishlist, but I'll make sure to get this one ASAP.

    Thanks again,
    Mike
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  • Profile picture of the author The Copy Nazi
    Banned
    Here's a bit of trivia for you: the average adult knows 40,000 words. (In English)
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    • Profile picture of the author CopyMonster
      Originally Posted by Metronicity View Post

      Here's a bit of trivia for you: the average adult knows 40,000 words. (In English)
      ... and actually uses a smidgen of that.
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      Scary good...
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  • Profile picture of the author MillionDollarCopy
    Rick!

    That's pure GOLD and I'm such an advocate for the thesaurus. They make writing so much more expressive. I'm definitely going to check out the one that you use, though. Mike made a great point, too, in making note of you displaying one of your tools. Very nice of you Thanks.
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    MillionDollarCopy.com
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    • Profile picture of the author copyassassin
      Rick-

      From the title of the post I thought you were going to write about checking
      Facebook or the latest from Perez.

      My Mom being an English teacher bought me one of those 20 pound rocks several years ago. Hmmm...

      I'll have to go look for it.

      Wait...hold on...Lady GaGa just got dissed.

      So many distractions from having to do "work".
      Signature

      The Most Bad-Ass Tax Reduction Strategist for Internet Marketers who HATE paying taxes. See my happy clients

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  • Profile picture of the author Johnny12345
    Wait... you mean you guys are still using a paper thesaurus?

    Oh, you silly, silly people...

    Go to Amazon.com right now and search for this...

    Franklin LM6000b Speaking Language Master

    It's an electronic dictionary/thesaurus -- and much more. It's got 130,000 words, 300,000 definitions, and 500,000 thesaurus entries.

    Plus -- and this is really nice -- if you don't know how to spell a word to even look it up, the Franklin lets you search using wildcard (* or ?) characters. And, if you misspell a word, it will automatically search to find the correct spelling.

    It's amazing. Mine is actually an older model -- I've been using it for over 15 years. Best money I ever spent. You can thank me later...

    Regards,

    John
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  • Profile picture of the author RentItNow
    I've used wordweb WordWeb: English dictionary, thesaurus, and word finder software. for about 15 years myself. Also have about 3 hardcopy thesauruses but wordweb has great features to research more than just synonyms. I think it is still free as well and integrates into word.
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    I have no agenda but to help those in the same situation. This I feel will pay the bills.
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  • Profile picture of the author FarmChick
    Thanks, Rick! My tattered copy of Roget's Thesaurus has left me hanging all too often, when I just KNOW there's that perfect word out there, just waiting to be used. I shall most definitely look it up!
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