Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary

Interpreter’s Resource Shelf (appeared in RID VIEWS February, 2007, reprinted with permission)
Kathy MacMillan, NIC, M.L.S.

Descriptionary: A Thematic Dictionary. By Mark McCutcheon. Checkmark Books, 2005. ISBN 0-8160-5926-8. $22.95.

How do you look up a word when you know its meaning, but you don’t know the word itself? You get out your Descriptionary. Unlike a regular dictionary, this fantastic resource is arranged by subject. Twenty-four broad categories (including Animals and Insects, Electronics, Finance, Food and Drink, Medicine, Sports, and Weapons, to name a few) are further broken down into subcategories, which then list relevant terms alphabetically with their definitions. For example, if you wanted to find the name of that little plastic or metal bit at the end of your shoelace, you would just need to look in the Table of Contents to find “Clothing”, which would lead you to its sub-category, “Clothing of the 20th and 21st Centuries”, under which you’d find “Footwear” and a section entitled “Parts of a Shoe”. From there, it’s an easy skim through the terminology list to find your answer (“aglet”). Try doing that with Webster’s.
But the Descriptionary does much more. An extensive section of “Words and Expressions You Should Know” offers great study material for English vocabulary building, and the subject-based organization makes this a dictionary that’s actually interesting to read. An alphabetical index of all terms allows readers to find definitions if the word is known. With its broad scope, including urban and Mafia slang, common Internet abbreviations, and legal and military terms, this book deserves a treasured spot on the resource shelf of every interpreter. What better way to prepare for assignments than this quick and easy guide to terminology on nearly every subject.

This column appears monthly in VIEWS. Please direct questions, comments, or suggestions for resources to highlight in future issues to Kathy MacMillan at info@kathymacmillan.com.