Updated: But the new edition of Fowler's Dictionary of Modern English Usage fiercely opposes some of the foibles of the English language today . Don'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 isn'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 rails against the overuse of words like 'challenging' and 'awesome'
Says that anyone who says 'like' deserves a violent reaction . Author also suggests that dropping aitches is a sign of social inferiority .