Plenty of the greats kept one within reach.

Stephen Sondheim relied heavily on a rhyming dictionary. “I can’t imagine any writer who doesn’t.”

Bruce Springsteen wrote “Blinded by the Light” with one open. In his words, it “was on fire.”

Stephen Schwartz, who wrote Wicked and Godspell, uses a rhyming dictionary “to make sure there aren’t any good rhymes I haven’t thought of.”

Leonard Cohen is shown reading one at the start of his “Democracy” video. He held himself to “the anvil of rhythm and rhyme.”

Just a few of the many.

A guitarist isn’t cheating by using a capo. A painter isn’t cheating by using a brush.

The rhyming dictionary hands you the options.

Also not cheating: a thesaurus, an eraser and a snack break.