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lex_y 's review for:
The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary
by Simon Winchester
This book is what I imagine a collaboration between a straight-laced history professor and a Knight of the British Empire would be. It is incredibly British and quite readable, even for American audiences. Winchester is obviously enamored with his topic-- his affection both for James Murray (the senior editor of the OED) and the dictionary itself is palpable. Moreover, he just loves words; some of his favorites are polymathic and niggardly. The book highlights the incredibly nuanced and complex nature of the English language itself, but also the absolute joy that comes in manipulating it.