From Tina: The Visual Thesaurus

I have an unusually deep respect for the English language. Maybe it has something to do with the countless number of hours I spent in elementary school diagramming sentences or looking up words in the dictionary. I distinctly remember my third grade teacher, Mr. Garrett, reminding us to replace the comparative term “like” with “such as” so that we wouldn’t be the annoying kids (or, later, adults) saying “like” all the time.

My best friend Jenica introduced me to VisualThesaurus.com, a nifty website you can use to help expand your use of our lexicon and a guide upon which I regularly rely.  Simply type in a word and an interactive map appears with definitions and related terms. The site has helped me learn new words and rediscover ones that were buried in the recesses of my brain. There’s a $19.95 annual subscription fee, but I find it’s well worth the small investment.

I know I won’t be able to eradicate the use of that dreaded four-letter word (the “L” one, I mean). But with the help of VisualThesaurus.com, my crusade is a bit more enjoyable.