National Thesaurus Day — 18 January

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! You’ve got Peter Mark Roget to thank for that wonderful book, and we celebrate his creation on National Thesaurus Day on January 18! 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.” Thanks to the thesaurus, we can do more than just tell friends we are happy but merry, delighted, and overjoyed! We can do more than have a conversation, but a discussion, a talk, or an exchange! Writers and non-writers alike can be thankful for all the word options available in a thesaurus, and celebrate the work of Peter Mark Roget on National Thesaurus Day!