The living dictionary

Ew. Touch it. It's warm...

Ever since Dr Johnson compiled his highly opinionated dictionary in 1755 (excise: "a hateful tax levied upon commodities"; oat: "a grain which in England is generally given to horses but in Scotland supports the people"), language has been a battlefield.

Collins Dictionaries today recognises that fact with the launch of an online Living Dictionary, in which netheads can suggest new words and argue over whether they should be added to the print version of the dictionary. In fact, "netheads" itself might be a useful starting point for discussion.

Is that chicken grease or booze you got there?

They've been claiming it for years now, but it looks like the OED is finally ready (use bugmenot.com to get a password) to embrace the uniform worn by 87.6% people appearing in COPS cameo roles. Of course, the Wubblewoo set, past their all-fired-up-in-the-blood-by-coke-and-wife's-smart-mouth days, have already moved on to another term for the undershirt: bib.



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And thus the ninjas develop a new crush

Oh dear sweet lord, how I love nerd girls. Is there anything hotter than pointy glasses and bangs? When is the pinup calendar coming?

She is one of the youngest editors in chief of one of the "Big Five" American dictionaries: At 33, she is in charge of the Oxford American Dictionary. (The others are American Heritage, Merriam-Webster, Webster's New World and Encarta.) She was appointed last year, and the first Oxford dictionary created under her auspices will hit stores next month. And she is not alone. Ms. McKean is part of the next wave of top lexicographers who have already or may soon take over guardianship of the nation's language, and who disprove Samuel Johnson's definition of a lexicographer as "a harmless drudge."

He's not so bad, either! (Encarta?)



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D is for wife on opium
Why are dictionary stories always marked by heartbreak and madness? This doesn't bode well for my latest project, a dictionary of German words for joy....

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Edited by author 04-19-2005 10:20 AM
Letting the rabble edit?

It sounds alot like how the Oxford was built, no? Microsoft follows in Wikepedia's footsteps but pretends somehow it's different.

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OAD

Does it include "Wubblewoo"? Then I won't recognize it. Fie!


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Now you too can ride the rails without shame

The dictionary of hobo slang. (From Incoming Signals)


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Well, it's about squeaky-bum time...

The Collins English dictionary... good for translating the English. If these words were any weirder, they'd be Australian.


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Tracking down tofu
The new issue of the OED newsletter is up, and the word sleuths are on the hunt.

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Track it down and kill it...

G

OED 2: Chugger in a Greige Pelmet Talks to Her Handy and Walks Her Cockapoo

Slang is part of the update, my droogs.


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Sheesh: Populating the new Webster's

How do dictionary folk choose the new words to go into their updates? Go ask the editor. (Personally, I always thought it involved a dime of pot, some Floyd records and a series of increasingly dangerous triple dog dares...)


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A dream come true, OED-style

Imagine finding yourself cited in the OED. This guy came up with "Nixonism". My best neologism is still "douché" -- what you say when conceding defeat to an asshole. But do you think THAT will get in? NooOOOoo!


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Lawsuit against erroneous dictionary

And Peter's not involved. (From Maud)


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