I'm still working on a little booklet, an addendum if you will to The Frugal Editor (www.budurl.com/frugaleditor). This is one f my favorite entries because the words are misused so much in both conversation and in writing:
anxious/eager:
You're eager to learn new things. You get anxious when a friend coaxes you into going for your first paragraph jump. Big difference.
Remember, The Frugal Editor urges zero tolerance on grammar rules, even style choices that people tend to think are grammar "rules." That's because you have to get your manuscript by the gatekeepers so you should aim not to give them anything to criticize--and certainly nothing to tick them off. So, even if you find a dictionary that says you can use "anxious" when you mean "eager," avoid doing it for the sake of your career.
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Carolyn Howard-Johnson edits, consults and speaks on issues of publishing. Find her The Frugal Editor: Put Your Best Book Forward to Avoid Humiliation and Ensure Success at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0978515870. Learn more about her other authors' aids at www.howtodoitfrugally.com, where writers will find lists and other helps on the Resources for Writers page. She blogs on all things publishing (not just editing!) at her Sharing with Writers blog.
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