Write Away

If you're at a loss for words next time you sit down to write a sales letter, you might want to take a look at “Gabay's Copywriters' Compendium: The Definitive Creative Writer's Guide” (Butterworth-Heinemann/Elsevier).

The recently reissued paperback by London-based copywriter Jonathan Gabay offers a lot for creatives who like to think about words. The author gives writers advice on concepts ranging from the basics (commonly misspelled words; when to use “it's” vs. “its”; a glossary of marketing technology) to lively directories of similes, metaphors, euphemisms, clichés and portmanteaus.

For those looking to hop across the pond, the book also features a look at U.S. vs. U.K. English. Just about everyone knows that Americans' French fries are Brits' chips. But did you know that what we call a zucchini is a courgette in England?

Numerous U.S. slang terms are explained for the British audience. Remember, you may think that a “sacred cow” could “save our bacon” in business overseas, but unless you're a “sex kitten” with the “sea legs” to make yourself understood, your “Rube Goldberg” plan will generate unfavorable “scuttlebutt.”