Word by Word : : the Secret Life of Dictionaries

Locations
Call Number: 413.028 St, Adult Book / Nonfiction / Literary Arts / General / Stamper, Kory
On Shelf At: Downtown Library

Location & Checkout Length	Call Number	Checkout Length	Item Status
Downtown 2nd Floor 4-week checkout	413.028 St	4-week checkout	On Shelf
Malletts Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Literary Arts / General / Stamper, Kory	4-week checkout	In transit
Traverwood Adult Books 4-week checkout	Adult Book / Nonfiction / Literary Arts / General / Stamper, Kory	4-week checkout	Due 05-07-2024

"Brimming with intelligence and personality, a vastly entertaining account of how dictionaries are made - a must read for word mavens. Have you ever tried to define the word "is?" Do you have strong feelings about the word (and, yes, it is a word) "irregardless?" Did you know that OMG was first used in 1917, in a letter to Winston Churchill? These are the questions that keep lexicographers up at night. While most of us might take dictionaries for granted, the process of writing dictionaries is in fact as lively and dynamic as language itself. With sharp wit and irreverence, Kory Stamper cracks open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography, from the agonizing decisions about what and how to define, to the knotty questions of usage in an ever-changing language. She explains why the small words are the most difficult to define, how it can take nine months to define a single word, and how our biases about language and pronunciation can have tremendous social influence. Throughout Stamper brings to life the hallowed halls (and highly idiosyncratic cubicles) of Merriam-Webster, a surprisingly rich world inhabited by quirky and erudite individuals who quietly shape the way we communicate. A sure delight for all lovers of words, Harmless Drudges will also improve readers' grasp and use of the English language"-- Provided by publisher.

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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

fascinating submitted by smgop on August 25, 2017, 8:53am A very interesting insight into the process of working at Merriam Webster - and just how some words make it into the dictionary!

Interesting Read for Logophiles submitted by k8e on June 20, 2018, 5:17pm A funny and interesting look at how words are defined and how dictionaries came to be and where they are headed - things I had never given much thought to before. Great for fans of words/language/writing. Was best suited to reading in small doses rather than plowing through - as it is a bit dense.

Great book - for those who love thinking about words submitted by pk on August 27, 2020, 7:51pm This is a peek into the life of a person working at Merriam-Webster dictionaries - a person who decides what goes in, and how to define it. It's a bigger job than any of us realize. The author is very funny and while the book is long, the style is very down to earth. This book is also a plea to the language pendants out there to remember that language is a living, changing thing and a dictionary is a reflection of that, not a source of language rules. If you do read it, be sure to read the acknowledgements at the end. Put yet another smile on my face after a thoroughly enjoyable book.