Take a photo of a barcode or cover
102 reviews for:
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
Simon Winchester
3.78 AVERAGE
102 reviews for:
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
Simon Winchester
3.78 AVERAGE
I picked this up at a used book store in Anacortes, Washington, while we were on vacation in May - just because it was drizzling & I couldn't go in the shop & not buy something! Otherwise I probably would not have read this. Honestly on looking at other reviews, it sounds like Winchester's other book on this subject is a better one, so maybe I'll actually look out for it! I found this a little dry for the most part. But it was interesting learning about the OED and some of the people who put it together. I liked learning about all the helpers and volunteers, from the guy in the prison for the criminally insane, to the two maiden ladies, to the reclusive American living in East Anglia who wrote to Murray - the dictionary's leader - daily for years....and they never met in person.
This was published in 2003. Toward the end it mentions the decision that was in the midst of being made, about whether to publish a new actual book edition of the OED, versus keeping it all online - as the book version would destroy a forest on its own. I don't know what ended up happening, but I hope they decided to keep it online and available to all!
This was published in 2003. Toward the end it mentions the decision that was in the midst of being made, about whether to publish a new actual book edition of the OED, versus keeping it all online - as the book version would destroy a forest on its own. I don't know what ended up happening, but I hope they decided to keep it online and available to all!
Having read The Professor & the Madman, I was looking forward to this one . . . and indeed, to being able to say I'd read "The Meaning of Everything" . . . and I have to say that it was interesting, but not as good as the former book, being a somewhat drier and more technical account of the making of the OED. Worth reading, but don't expect as wild a ride as The Professor & the Madman!
This is a must-read for all lexicography geeks - and for people who assume that dictionaries and the making thereof are dry as dust. There is lots of human interest in the long long story of the OED, but amusing and interesting details can never eclipse the astonishing achievement of the original team in creating a dictionary based on historical principles against seemingly impossible odds.
Fantastic read. If you have not read this and have even the remotest interest in English, this is required reading. The greatest lexical undertaking in world history, the compiling of this dictionary spanned 75 years through immense upheaval, heartbreak, and jubilation motivated by a simple and profound love of the English language.
challenging
informative
slow-paced
I'm surprised that there are several 2- and 3-star reviews of this book. I loved it. The process, the personalities, and, more than anything else, the words are fascinating. I would recommend it to anyone who is a word-nerd or a history-nerd.
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
Some parts were interesting, like the disagreements people had on how to make the dictionary, or how they literally compiled it from “slips” written by volunteers from all over. A lot of the book though was the author listing things (names, words) and that was just information overload.
A delightful story of the undertakings to develop the massive OED, with side journeys covering other attempts and multiple editors and significant contributors. For me, this story illuminated the fact that simple does not equal easy… the original vision had a limited timeframe and publication length to complete the endeavor - both which exploded as the complexity of the project covered years (decades!) and millions and millions of hours effort from slews of contributors from around the globe. The English language is fascinating from many different aspects.
Consumed as an audiobook read by the author.
Consumed as an audiobook read by the author.