Bertram Anne. NTC's Dictionary of Commonplace Words in Real-Life Contexts

Lincolnwood: NTC Publishing Group, 1997. — VII + 381 p. — ISBN: 0-8442-0845-0.This is a dictionary about the commonplace things and activities associated with getting along in modern American society. Gadgets and machines in the home and workplace, as well as the vehicles that take us from home to work, present hundreds of special terms necessary for survival in the modern world. This dictionary includes terms commonly encountered in instructions for practical, everyday tasks, such as home maintenance, yard work, TV, VCR, and stereo operation, car repair, cooking, and computer use. The up-to-date word list deals with sewing, communications, plumbing, gardening, sports, hair care, construction, tools, kitchen appliances, travel, safety, and electronics, among other topics. Going beyond the simple linking of a word and an object, the goal is to help users make these commonplace words a part of their everyday vocabulary. The dictionary also provides a category index that lists all of the terms in a particular subject area. The dictionary is a boon to the new-to-English citizen as well as native speakers of English who are new to domestic matters or to the details of home maintenance.