What a lifesaver for writers and editors alike! Fellow NAIWE member Barbara McNichol has compiled in one easy-to-navigate manual the most crazy-making words from A-Z that, yes, trip us up. No more scrambling through stacks of reference books, as now the answers we seek are right at our fingertips.

Who among us hasn’t agonized over “affect” or “effect”? “Lay” or “lie”? “Who” or “whom”? Word Trippers comes to our rescue, but it doesn’t stop there. It also includes homophones that trip us up, like vial/vile and waver/waiver. Excellent!

My personal word tripper is “comprise” or “compose.” I have sought several sources and have never found an explanation to help keep them straight in my mind. Until now. Thank you, Word Trippers!

Word Trippers 2^nd Edition is a must for every writer and editor.

Writing the simplest statement has often been a nightmare for me. No kidding. Here’s but a brief glimpse as to what I go through: “Alright (all right?), my oldest (or is it eldest?) granddaughter had just gotten (is that even a word??) into (one word? two?) her dad’s Jeep for the long trek back home while I (when I, maybe?)–Oh, forget it!!” Okay, so I’m a tad anal . . . and neurotic . . .

So thank goodness for Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty, who has saved my grammatical sanity once again. Just when I thought that nothing could top her Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing and Grammar Devotional as my go-to guides when mired in writerly angst, she comes out with the jewel Grammar Girl’s 101 Troublesome Words You’ll Master in No Time.  And it’s right on time too. I’m not sure how much longer I could have hovered on the brink.

Before, I tore my style guides and other references apart, searching for guidance on these 101 troublesome (translation: crazy-making) words, but no more. Grammar Girl’s much-needed and welcomed advice in 101 Troublesome Words lays (or is it lies? Looked it up–it’s lays) just within reach as I bang away on my keyboard. And I feel sooo much better now, as stability is now restored in grammar world (well, at least for the moment). And you, my fellow anal/neurotics (you know who you are), will feel much better too. I promise.

Thank you, Grammar Girl. Once again.