Updated : But the new edition of Fowler 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage fiercely opposes some of the foibles of the English language today . Do n't say 'like ' , avoid the word 'awesome ' and never drop your aitches - the latest edition of the ultimate guide to the English language has been revised for the 21st century . The new edition of Fowler 's Dictionary of Modern English Usage has just been released , and has been revised to take on the language battles of the current generation . Compiler Jeremy Butterfield has inserted some strident views into the dictionary - saying that people who use the word 'like ' deserve to face physical violence . He also risks charges of snobbery , by writing that anyone who says 'haitch ' instead of 'aitch ' appears 'unspeakably uncouth ' to older generations . But the new Fowler 's does make some concessions to the modern world - traditionalists may be angry to discover that the book accepts the use of the world 'literally ' to mean 'metaphorically ' . Fowler 's dictionary was first published in 1926 , written by lexicologist H.W . Fowler , and it rose to fame as the definitive guide to what is and is n't acceptable in the English language . However , in the intervening decades the book has fallen out of fashion , as modern trends have reacted against notions of 'correct ' and 'incorrect ' language use . Mr Butterfield 's new edition , published by Oxford University Press last week , attempts to re-establish the reputation of Fowler 's guide . Among the words which he says should be banned are 'challenging ' , 'awesome ' and 'issue ' , because they have all become clichés , according to The Times . He also outlaws the use of the word 'achingly ' when attached to 'trendy ' or 'hip ' , saying it should be reserved for situations where someone is actually in pain . Similarly , he insists that the word 'nubile ' should mean 'marriageable ' , not 'sexually attractive ' as it is often used nowadays . But he reserves his most furious broadsides for the word 'like ' , used by younger generations to pepper their sentences regardless of whether it serves any linguistic purpose . Author : The first edition of the work was published by lexicographer H.W . Fowler , pictured left , and the latest edition has been revised by Jeremy Butterfield , right . Mr Butterfield - who admits to sometimes being a 'grumpy old man ' - writes : 'Overuse will cause listeners outside the speaker 's immediate social circle , wider social group or age cohort to ignore the content of the message , to assume that the speaker is little short of brain-dead , or , in extreme cases , to wish they had a discreet firearm to hand . ' In an even more contentious passage , the author suggests that people who drop their aitches or pronounce the letter as 'haitch ' are marking themselves out as socially inferior to others . He points out that Lord Carey did not pronounce aitches when he was young , but changed his speech as he grew older , eventually reaching the top of the Establishment as Archbishop of Canterbury . 'There would be no doubt that George Carey would not have risen to that position if he had continued to do so , ' Mr Butterfield writes . The dictionary is available from the OUP as a hardback or - in a sign of the times - as an e-book for Kindle and other devices .
Jeremy Butterfield has written the new edition of Fowler 's dictionary of Modern English Usage . He warns against the overuse of words like ' challenging ' and ' awesome ' and that anyone who says ' like ' deserves a violent punishment . Author also warns that dropping down is a sign of social inferiority .