[Tiresias]

Dictionaries. I would like to talk about dictionaries.

I just ordered the two-volume Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (SOED).



Quite the dictionary, no? And yet it is a mere tadpole next to that veritable Leviathan of lexicography. You know what I'm talking about: The Oxford English Dictionary. And just look at it. Look. Twenty volumes, my friends. Twenty! But can you imagine? An ocean of language! A logophile's Elysium! A paradise of words.





For now, I will content myself with its dwarfish offspring. But one day, yes one day, it will be mine, all, all mine.

Do you own a dictionary? What dictionary do you use? Do you, perchance, own the OED? O, let the fun begin!

[Dakar V]

Any dictionaries I have are from childhood and have not been touched since college at the most recent (not likely).

[Tiresias]

So you make do with the dictionary (Oxford American Dictionary) bundled with iLife?

It's actually pretty decent (correct, apt, fitting, suitable, respectable, dignified, decorous, seemly, comme il faut, etc, etc.)

[Dakar V]

I have to say I hit the limits of the Dashboard dictionary far more often than one would expect, but any situation where I'd defer to another dictionary the internet is both more likely to be available and more accessible than a physical dictionary.

[zro]

I like looking up the word "Dictionary" in a dictionary. It make me feel smarter.

[Tiresias]

True, if what you want is a definition, any old definition will do. But there is pleasure to be had between the crackly pages of a fine dictionary. You can browse through words, something impossible with an on-line dictionary. The typeface is never elegant. The source, if the dictionary is free, is out-of-date. Like most things in life, you have to pay to get the good stuff.

[Doofy]

I have a very useful reverse dictionary. Look up the definition and it gives you the word. Sort of like this but in book form with pretty pictures and diagrams.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by minty 

True, if what you want is a definition, any old definition will do. But there is pleasure to be had between the crackly pages of a fine dictionary. You can browse through words, something impossible with an on-line dictionary. The typeface is never elegant. The source, if the dictionary is free, is out-of-date. Like most things in life, you have to pay to get the good stuff.

If you want to browse words, I imagine that might be a more pleasing tactile endeavor.

Myself, I browse wikipedia subjects.

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

Myself, I browse wikipedia subjects.

I browse boobies.

If you browse wiki, you may appreciate this (it's all about the links at the bottom of the page).

[Railroader]

I use this dictionary the most:



No, I am not joking.

[Jawbone54]

I just cannot justify buying a physical dictionary anymore. I stick with the Dictionary app (it's always on my Dock), and it works for me every time.

[Tiresias]

I used to think like that, Jawbone. But the difference between a real book (be it a dictionary or a novel) and an e-book is approximately analogous to the difference between making love to a real girl and whacking off to porn. If you appreciate dictionaries, then a real dictionary is not merely justifiable, it is a must.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I use this dictionary the most:



No, I am not joking.

I heard a rumor that you Scrabble freaks learn new words without bothering to learn the definitions, as if words were only worth whatever points they can get you in a game of Scrabble.

Is this true? Does that dictionary include definitions?

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by minty 

I heard a rumor that you Scrabble freaks learn new words without bothering to learn the definitions, as if words were only worth whatever points they can get you in a game of Scrabble.

Is this true? Does that dictionary include definitions?

Uhhh, I use it to challenge opponent's "creative" word plays. I have no idea if what you say is true.

No definitions are in there.

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by minty 

I used to think like that, Jawbone. But the difference between a real book (be it a dictionary or a novel) and an e-book is approximately analogous to the difference between making love to a real girl and whacking off to porn. If you appreciate dictionaries, then a real dictionary is not merely justifiable, it is a must.

Seriously, looking up words in a dictionary is like "making love to a real girl " to you?!?! Have you ever made love to a "real" girl?

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Seriously, looking up words in a dictionary is like "making love to a real girl " to you?!?! Have you ever made love to a "real" girl?

"I read about it in a book, once."

[Sijmen]

Ordered the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary about two months ago, seriously makes me want the OED.... man..... Compared to Dutch(which has a total volume similar to the SOED) the OED is gold!

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Dakar V 

"I read about it in a book, once."

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary or the Oxford English Dictionary?

[Sijmen]

Mmmm, we don't actually have a company that catalog's and maintains a Dutch words depository. Van Dale makes a dictionary based on words currently used by the majority of Dutch people. This sucks, because there are Latin, French, German, English and words from many other languages cataloged. This makes it more of a linguistical view on the Dutch language at the beginning of the 21 century.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Sijmen 

Ordered the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary about two months ago, seriously makes me want the OED.... man..... Compared to Dutch(which has a total volume similar to the SOED) the OED is gold!

Have you ever seen the "Compact OED"? It's the whole 20-volume OED in one volume. I'm serious! The text is so small you can't see it without the special "reading glass" supplied.

[Sijmen]

Yeah, I've seen it. That's one crazy edition! Handy when on the road, but crazy nonetheless.

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by Doofy 

I have a very useful reverse dictionary. Look up the definition and it gives you the word. Sort of like this but in book form with pretty pictures and diagrams.

Hm, it didn't return fart when I typed "stinky air coming out of your butt" -- but exhaust was the first hit, which is close enough for me.

http://www.onelook.com/?w=*&loc=revf...t+of+your+butt

[RAILhead]

Originally Posted by minty 

I used to think like that, Jawbone. But the difference between a real book (be it a dictionary or a novel) and an e-book is approximately analogous to the difference between making love to a real girl and whacking off to porn. If you appreciate dictionaries, then a real dictionary is not merely justifiable, it is a must.

Dude, the girl is supposed to do the whacking while you do the looking. Hello?!?

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by minty 

For now, I will content myself with its dwarfish offspring. But one day, yes one day, it will be mine, all, all mine.

I don’t even have the dwarfish offspring, I am ashamed to say. Only the Advanced Learner’s, and Collins (well, I needed something American-centric, too).

However, one day. One day, when I have a bookshelf big enough. Then, the full OED will be mine. As will the EB.

Do you own a dictionary?

I happened to count two days ago, actually. I own 68 dictionaries. [If you want proof, look here—includes reason for counting, too]

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Uhhh, I use it to challenge opponent's "creative" word plays. I have no idea if what you say is true.

No definitions are in there.

Without definitions it is not a dictionary.

[Railroader]

It says "Dictionary" right on it as you can clearly see.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Jawbone54 

I just cannot justify buying a physical dictionary anymore. I stick with the Dictionary app (it's always on my Dock), and it works for me every time.

You can invoke the dictionary through Spotlight and right-clicking, too.

Originally Posted by Oisín 

I happened to count two days ago, actually. I own 68 dictionaries. [If you want proof, look here—includes reason for counting, too]

Who's the dreamy lookin' dude in the weird shirt?

[Railroader]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

Who's the dreamy lookin' dude in the weird shirt?

Now is your chance to expand your t-shirt comfort zone. Try a little strange.

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

Now is your chance to expand your t-shirt comfort zone. Try a little strange.

As an aside, I started browsing through his pictures and suddenly realized I was looking at a gay pride parade that had mostly naked men while I was sitting in a public computer lab with people around me. Risque.

[Dakar V]

Originally Posted by Laminar 

As an aside, I started browsing through his pictures and suddenly realized I was looking at a gay pride parade that had mostly naked men while I was sitting in a public computer lab with people around me. Risque.

On the plus side, 3 guys gave you their numbers.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

It says "Dictionary" right on it as you can clearly see.

Misnomer.

[Railroader]

Oblivious.

[shifuimam]

Originally Posted by minty 

I used to think like that, Jawbone. But the difference between a real book (be it a dictionary or a novel) and an e-book is approximately analogous to the difference between making love to a real girl and whacking off to porn. If you appreciate dictionaries, then a real dictionary is not merely justifiable, it is a must.

That's silly. I can understand when it comes to flat-out reading a book that looking at a page rather than a screen is much more pleasant. However, when I'm in the middle of reading an article online or writing a diatribe in my LiveJournal, I see no point in keeping a monolithic tome next to my desk to serve as a dictionary. Google suffices quite nicely.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Ben Mines 

Misnomer.

No, it doesn’t have to have definitions to be a dictionary. A spelling dictionary is also a dictionary. Dictionary just means ‘book of words’, nothing more.

Originally Posted by Laminar

Who's the dreamy lookin' dude in the weird shirt?

Oh, you sure do know how to make a boy blush, you!

[Laminar]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

Oh, you sure do know how to make a boy blush, you!

That's not all I can do. *wink* *nudge* *barf*

[RAILhead]

Flame off! ^^

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

No, it doesn’t have to have definitions to be a dictionary. A spelling dictionary is also a dictionary. Dictionary just means ‘book of words’, nothing more.

I'm not sure about that. A dictionary, according to itself, is "a book that lists the words of a language in alphabetical order and gives their meaning," (italics mine). Look up the word in all 68 of your dictionaries and you probably won't find it defined otherwise. The idea also squares with the etymology: Latin dictionarium manuale: "manual of words."

Perhaps you use some other criteria to define words, like common usage or gut-feeling. In that case, a dictionary is just a "book of words" (though now every book is a dictionary).

A "spelling dictionary" is a different box of apples and, IMHO, a misnomer.

[Railroader]

I should start popping the popcorn.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Railroader 

I should start popping the popcorn.

I am simply questioning this gentleman's definition of a word. There's not need for popcorn, nor for a mob of MacNNers to crowd around us yelling, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" It may turn out that he is right, and in that case, I'll parboil, salt and eat my hat.

[shabbasuraj]

we need more dictionary widget choices

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by shifuimam 

That's silly. I can understand when it comes to flat-out reading a book that looking at a page rather than a screen is much more pleasant. However, when I'm in the middle of reading an article online or writing a diatribe in my LiveJournal, I see no point in keeping a monolithic tome next to my desk to serve as a dictionary. Google suffices quite nicely.

True. But you overlook two points.

First, unless you're paying for a subscription, the free on-line dictionaries are of an inferior quality. Second, you cannot easily browse an on-line dictionary. In a physical dictionary, new words can often be discovered adjacent to or on the same page as the word you have looked up.

But these are advantages that only matter to word lovers.

[Amorya]

My university has a subscription to the online OED.

It's not quite the same as a paper version, but it's a lot more useful (can use it anywhere, etc).

Amorya

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Ben Mines 

True. But you overlook two points.

First, unless you're paying for a subscription, the free on-line dictionaries are of an inferior quality. Second, you cannot easily browse an on-line dictionary. In a physical dictionary, new words can often be discovered adjacent to or on the same page as the word you have looked up.

But these are advantages that only matter to word lovers.

The latter depends on the online dictionary—there are some that will give you the preceding and following 20 or 30 words as well as the one you entered. It’s lovely.

[Oisín]

Originally Posted by Ben Mines 

I'm not sure about that. A dictionary, according to itself, is "a book that lists the words of a language in alphabetical order and gives their meaning," (italics mine). Look up the word in all 68 of your dictionaries and you probably won't find it defined otherwise. The idea also squares with the etymology: Latin dictionarium manuale: "manual of words."

Perhaps you use some other criteria to define words, like common usage or gut-feeling. In that case, a dictionary is just a "book of words" (though now every book is a dictionary).

A "spelling dictionary" is a different box of apples and, IMHO, a misnomer.

I didn’t have to look far—just as far as Collins:

Originally Posted by Collins

3 a collection of information or examples with the entries alphabetically arranged

Or Webster:

Originally Posted by Webster

2 Hence, a book containing the words belonging to any system or province of knowledge, arranged alphabetically; as, a dictionary of medicine or of botany; a biographical dictionary

I’d say a spelling dictionary or a crossword puzzle dictionary would fall under this latter category, since crossword puzzles and orthography are systems or provinces of knowledge.

But I think, at this point of nitpicking, the definitions are loose enough that we can both choose to be right in our respective personal definitions, and simply agree to tolerate people who have differing views.

Originally Posted by Laminar 

That's not all I can do. *wink* *nudge* *barf*

My, my, you are on fire tonight! Oh, wait, white text. Bugger.

[Laminar]

That's what she (he?) said.

[Tiresias]

Originally Posted by Oisín 

But I think, at this point of nitpicking, the definitions are loose enough that we can both choose to be right in our respective personal definitions, and simply agree to tolerate people who have differing views.

This is a diplomatic suggestion, and I accept it.

Oisín, I salute you, and your 68 dictionaries.

[SVass]

My library has a subscription to the online version of the OED which can be accessessed by anyone with a valid card number.
sam

[Mithras]

I have the above-mentioned Compact Oxford English Dictionary, which is terrific fun. It's two volumes, not one, minty, but it is indeed printed really, really, tiny. We bought it for around $200 at a used book shop.