If you are a writer or a word nerd like me, you’ll want to celebrate tomorrow because it’s National Thesaurus Day, according to www.nationaltoday.com
“When you’re looking for that perfect word to convey your thought, or don’t want to repeat the same word over and over again, where do you go? The thesaurus, of course,” according to the National Today website. “You’ve got Peter Mark Roget to thank for that wonderful book, and we celebrate his creation on National Thesaurus Day on January 18.”
The website article goes on to say that “Roget started the book in 1848 and finished in 1852 with 15,000 words. The book’s full original title was Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases Classified and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas and Assist in Literary Composition.”
Whew! What a long title. Maybe Roget should have used his own thesaurus.
Using a thesaurus, whether an actual book or www.thesaurus.com , you’ll find alternate ways to say you’re happy like merry, cheerful, contented, or elated. A thesaurus can help writers and students alike learn how to use different words to express their thoughts. It’s also a great way to expand your vocabulary.
Here are some great ways to celebrate National Thesaurus Day from National Today:
- Play a game of “Synonym Password”: Pair up with a friend to see if you can stump each other on this game show variation. Make a stack of cards with words on them, and on each turn, give your partner up to three synonyms for the word on the card. Try to get them to figure out the original word. For instance, for a card with “party” on it, you could say “celebration,” “shindig,” or “festivity.”
- Rewrite a famous poem or story: Have a little fun switching out the words of famous works and see if you can make them better! Take Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven,” for instance. “Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,” could turn into “Once upon a boring night, while I thought, frail and fatigued.”
- Flip through a thesaurus for old time’s sake: These days, we mostly use an online thesaurus, but paging through a book can lead you to many new words! Spend some time looking up favorites, you know, your darlings, number ones, idols, beloveds, dears, and faves.